Preparedness and a Lesson.

First, I'd like to share my "Paleo bounty" for the week...

I spent a few hours on Sunday with my mom preparing food for the week to get me through the long days I'm in class until late.

Egg muffins:

I made mine with frozen spinach (defrosted), breakfast sausage (browned in a skillet and then put into the bottom of the muffin cup), eggs from my chickens (one per muffin), and salt/pepper/garlic powder for seasoning. I layered the sausage on the bottom, then the spinach, and the egg on top. Next time I do it, I think I'm going to crack one egg in each muffin cup then put the ingredients on top. I'll report back with results!

Scotch Eggs:

These are my new FAVE. I love that they're a perfect delivery system of protein and super portable. I've really missed the ease of a wrap or sandwich when on the go since I've gone paleo, but these definitely do the trick. I used lean ground beef seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic powder, nutmeg, rosemary, and a touch of cayenne wrapped around the hard boiled egg. YUM!

Banana Bread:

It has literally taken me years to find a banana bread recipe that meets all of my requirements: grain free, dairy free, refined sugar free, good texture and great taste. I finally found it! (I'll post the recipe if I get enough requests!!) This is by far my new favorite recipe. My mom loves it too.

Outside of that, I have a ton of easy veggies to bring along: cucumbers, salad fixings, cauliflower, etc. This has helped me a TON this week and I think I will finally make it through the week without stopping at a coffee shop to get nuts or something because I didn't bring enough food.

Now.... on to the exciting stuff.

I learned a lesson tonight.

Side note:  I also came up with what I think is a brilliant name to call all of you - my supporters, fans, clients, family and friends - Foodies In Training, or FITs. This embraces the attitude of loving the food you eat while also highlighting the fact that it's healthy, and can be another step to helping you achieve the best body/fitness level/health level you possibly can. Call it silly if you want - I'm keeping it.

I learned a lesson tonight for all of you FITs while making part of dinner. Don't lift the feeding cup from the food processor while ricing cauliflower if the food processor is still on. It will snow cauliflower all over your counters. Super fun to clean up.

I made Cauliflower Cheese Bread. No, not "technically" paleo, but a fun new recipe all the same. I adapted this from several other recipes I found.

FIT Cauliflower Cheese Bread

1 large head cauliflower
4 eggs
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese (or cheese of your choice)
salt/pepper to taste
garlic powder
red pepper flakes
dried parsley

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Rice or grate your cauliflower in a food processor or with a box grater. Place in a large bowl and mix together with all other ingredients. Using two baking sheets lined with parchment paper or silicone mat, spread half of the mixture onto each baking pan. Compress the mixture with your hands, spreading into a rectangular shape until it is at about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thickness.

Bake for 40 minutes or until golden brown.

Self Experimentation and Discovery

I did an experiment last week.

I wouldn't recommend anyone else do this to yourself. Unless you have a morbid sense of curiosity.

I've been gluten free for three years now. I've had small gluten exposures here and there, and thankfully don't have a severe reaction to it.

Well, I was at work and the chef made beautiful cinnamon walnut scones. Now, I have to preface this next statement with I love scones. They used to be my all-time favorite breakfast treat. I just had to try this scone. It tasted so delicious - especially with coffee. I knew that I probably wouldn't feel all that great from eating it, but in the past I had just been a little emotional the next day with hardly any gastrointestinal distress. (Yes, gluten makes me cry. Literally.) I didn't think it would be a big deal.

This time was different. I can only think it was because I had an entire snack made of gluten, rather than just a little bit in a meal. My stomach was upset for three days afterward. I was emotional the next day, and I felt funky for almost an entire week following. I try to really pay close attention to my body and listen to what it's telling me. I learned my lesson. Gluten:1, Me: 0.

I will continue to be fastidious about gluten exposure. It's not worth feeling like I'm blown up like a balloon, emotional, and without an appetite. You might not notice how gluten affects you if you're eating it regularly - I know I didn't. But after giving it up for a while, you begin to see how good you can feel. Reintroduction of it can be uncomfortable at the least.

I try to listen to my body in other ways, too. Our bodies are amazing feats of engineering. They carry on numerous processes every day to support our existence with much conscious effort. The delicate homeostatic balance is maintained perfectly by the systems in our body. Little things can throw it all off, and make you feel "off."

I've been dealing with fatigue and exhaustion lately. I'll sleep for 8 hours and feel like I barely slept 5. Or, I'll feel great when I wake up in the morning but come 10 a.m., walking around the building at work seems like a marathon. I do have days that I feel great - and I have to be very careful not to overexert myself on those days or I'm completely out of commission for almost an entire week. It is a very frustrating cycle, and a very careful balance I have to find between resting sufficiently to care for myself and getting enough exercise to feel strong and feel good about myself. I was concerned that there was something deeper than just fatigue that was troubling me, but with blood tests and doctor visits, I appear to be perfectly healthy. I know I've been dealing with stress, and that's what the doctor has attributed my fatigue, mood swings, and lack of "oomph." I've never had stress affect me in this way, and it concerns me.

Stress is a persistent antagonist on the body. Stress is designed to get your body ready for "fight" or "flight" - in other words, it's meant to be acute. Exercise is stress on your body, but it's a good stress, or eustress. Exercise creates a temporary shift to your homeostasis, causing changes in your metabolism, muscle mass, and cardiovascular system that require rest and repair. After the exercise bout is over, your body returns to its normal state so that rest and repair is possible. Modern life stresses our bodies in a different way. Stress for many of us is a constant onslaught of worry, work overload, and over scheduling. There is not a system of the body that is not affected by stress. Stress can cause gastrointestinal distress, sleep deprivation or disruption, lack or stimulation of appetite, and weight gain, to name just a few. Because stress has far-reaching affects, it is important to take a look at how you can reduce stress in your life.

I have to take a very close look at my life to discover how I can reduce stress. At this point in time, I don't know what else I can do. In the past, I've used exercise to help me reduce stress, but now I can't do that because my energy levels are so low. Many people benefit from yoga, but I hate yoga. (I shouldn't say that. I'm a HUGE believer in what yoga can do for people. It just doesn't do it for me.) Work is a big portion of my stress, but unfortunately that can't be reduced very much, so I need to learn to manage my stress at work better and do my best to leave it at work. My husband and I have stress at home as well with the responsibility of home ownership and the lovely challenges of the first year of marriage, and we're doing what we can to reduce and manage the stress there. (Side note: my husband and I have a strong, loving and supportive relationship. We work together as a team to conquer the stresses we experience - it's not stress between us, but stress from our life circumstances that is shared). I need to learn to manage stress. I'm not good at it. In fact, I don't handle stress well at all. (Obviously, or I wouldn't have gone to see a doctor about my health problems.) This is going to take quite a bit of work, soul searching, and self discovery. I'll be praying about it, and using that time to meditate and allow the Lord to work in my head and my heart to teach me.

If you're feeling stressed, overwhelmed, and tired, rest assured you're not alone. Stress can get in the way of many goals - like weight loss, muscle gain, or beating fatigue. Stress can even have an affect on relationships. I can help you find ways to better manage your stress if you would like (I should probably listen to my own advice...) and I would love to help you learn how to take care of your body.

With that, remember to take a deep breath and relax. You have this one life to live, and this one body to care for. Honor yourself, your body (and temple), and your loved ones by nurturing your health.

Stress, Fatigue, and a Recipe

I am tired a lot.

Which really sucks, because I really like to be active, workout, lift heavy things, and generally be a busy body. But I haven't been able to do that. I'll take it easy for a while, feel better, then workout a little too hard and be under the weather for days afterwards. It's discouraging. My body has always been something I can rely on. With my energy so variable, I can't rely on my body to be there when I want it to right now. I'm learning to listen to my body more closely so that I can be more careful not to overdo it.

Do you listen to your body when you're tired? I think that too often we don't. We just push through the fatigue, because we feel a little better after our workout. I often feel obligated to workout because I don't want to lose muscle mass, gain weight, or get further deconditioned. This is a mistake. Fatigue is an important signal our body sends us. We are bombarded with more signals, obligations, stress, and input than ever before, and it seems that the influx continues to grow every day. Our system eventually gets overloaded with the stress, which wears down on us in many different ways. We become tired, cranky, depressed, listless, or overwhelmed. It is vitally important to our health that we take the time to nurture our bodies in a way that allow us to remain energized, whole, and healthy.

Be sure to take time for yourself. A little bit of time each day is helpful - for some, its a moment of meditation or quiet reflection. Others, its time in prayer, a bubble bath, yoga, listen to your book, cook a favorite recipe, or a peaceful walk. Whatever it is, take your time for you.

Yesterday, I took some time to cook a recipe I've been meaning to try before my husband and I went to a friend's house for dinner. It turned out delicious.

Avocado Deviled Eggs

Ingredients:
4 hard boiled eggs
1 avocado
2 tbsp greek yogurt
salt. pepper, and garlic powder to taste
cayenne pepper for garnish

Cut each egg in half and scoop out the yolks. Place the yolks, avocado, yogurt, and spices in the food processor. Process until smooth. Scoop mixture back into the egg whites (I put mine into a pastry bag and piped them in to make them look pretty). Sprinkle with cayenne pepper. Enjoy!

Primal Eggplant Parmesan - Grain Free, Sugar Free, Gluten Free

Tonight's dinner was delicious! We are so spoiled with our garden in the backyard - cucumber, zucchini, eggplant, jalapenos, bell peppers, watermelon, and tomatoes. I think we even have potatoes. I can't wait for the tomatoes to finally come in! (I have to say though, I am pretty sick of zucchini!)

We had a few eggplant in the fridge I wanted to cook before they went bad. I love eggplant. I'm one of those weird people that doesn't have a problem with the texture, and absolutely love the eggplant for its versatility. My husband, on the other hand, doesn't love eggplant. In fact, he was pretty sure he hated it. But tonight, I think I may have won him over.

Primal Eggplant Parmesan

Ingredients:
2 small or 1 large eggplant
3-4 eggs
1-2 cups almond meal (I use Trader Joe's)
1 tbsp oregano
1-2 tsp salt
pepper to taste
Marinara of your choice (I used a mixture of Trader Joe's Roasted Garlic Marinara and Muir Glen Organic Italian Stewed Tomatoes)
Fresh Mozzarella cheese
Fresh basil (we had it in our garden)
Butter/coconut oil/cooking oil of your choice

Procedure:
1. Peel and slice eggplant into about 1/4 inch slices.
2.. Set up your breading station. Start by cracking eggs into a shallow/flat dish or tupperware and whisking the eggs with a fork or whisk. In another shallow dish/tupperware, mix together the almond meal, oregano, salt and pepper.
3. Start heating a large, shallow pan on medium/low heat. Add enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan.
4. Now to start "breading"! First, dip the eggplant in the egg, making sure to evenly coat both sides. Let the excess egg drip off the eggplant, then place the eggplant in almond meal mixture. Evenly coat both sides of the eggplant.
5. Place each eggplant slice in the pan, making sure not to overcrowd the pan. Brown on both sides. Now is a good time to preheat your oven to 330 degrees. You'll use the oven to ensure your eggplant is cooked all the way through and to keep it warm while you cook the remainder of the eggplant.
6. Continue to bread the rest of the eggplant slices while the first batch cooks in the pan.
7. After the first batch is browned, place the slices in a baking dish and place them in the oven. Continue to place the eggplant slices in the baking dish in the oven until you've cooked all the eggplant.
8. Once all your eggplant is cooked and in the oven, start heating your marinara sauce on the stove. Combine marinara of your choice and any additional spices. I only needed to add basil - the Roasted Garlic Marinara and Italian Stewed Tomatoes made a delicious, chunky sauce.
9. Bake the eggplant for 10 minutes, turn off your oven but leave the door closed. Leave the eggplant in there for another 5-10 minutes.
10. Slice the mozzarella into 1/4 inch or thinner slices.
11. Remove the eggplant from the oven. Layer eggplant with a slice of mozzarella in between. Top with marinara sauce, and basil for garnish.
12. Enjoy!

* I want to mention, as a disclaimer, that while I do mention this recipe is sugar free. There is naturally occurring sugar in the tomatoes. What I mean by "sugar free" is that there is no added or processed sugar in this recipe.

A Slippery Slope

I've done this way too many times.

I started off my week with a commitment to really clean up my meals and avoid sugar and grains. I'm more than a little ashamed to admit that I didn't make it through the week. Sugar has its way of creeping in. 

I've battled (and am still battling) an addiction to sugar. I really struggle with it, and it has taken a lot of prayer, focus and commitment to come to a place where I feel comfortable around sugar. I can pass up sugar with a lot less focus and effort than before.

This doesn't mean that sugar doesn't create problems for me. I hope that you can find this as a comfort; you are not alone if you struggle with food. We turn to food for so many different reasons - we're happy, sad, angry, lonely, stressed, hurt or any number of other emotions. Modern food has addictive properties - there are people in the food industry whose sole purpose is to find out what makes food products palatable and addictive - and so not only do we have emotional ties to food, but there are neurological ties to food as well. Sugar has been demonstrated to trigger the same dopamine receptors in your brain as heavily addictive drugs like cocaine. In a lot of ways, it feels like we are set up for failure. But please don't be discouraged.

The first step in avoiding the slippery slope and downward spiral of less-than-clean eating is to recognize what triggers you to make that poor choice. This can take a lot of work - often our triggers are hidden within emotions, habits, and our lifestyle. Next, recognize if and how you can avoid or reduce your triggers. Can you walk away? Does prayer give you strength? Does meditation or a quick walk take your mind off your trigger? Experiment with different strategies and find what works for you. And last, discover what drives you to overcome your addiction or food struggles. Why does it matter to you? How is it affecting your life? Defining what inspires you to overcome your struggle will be the one thing you can always turn to when you feel like you are failing.

But most importantly, remember you are not a failure. You are not alone, and there are many others struggling in ways very similar to you. I am one of them. Find your inspiration and stick to it. And rely on your support system to keep you in good spirits.

God bless my friends, and stick it out. You can do this!

Get Ready, Get Set, Get Prepared.

Ok, so I forgot to take pictures of my food prep. It wasn't pretty, so you didn't miss much! I'll do my best this weekend.

BUT, I did cook a whole chicken, some zucchini bread, a loaf of applesauce/banana bread (because the zucchini bread didn't turn out very well) and chopped zucchini and onions. I'll be cooking the beef patties tomorrow evening and the soup that I made has been a saving grace for lunches!

I really like to cook. I used to say that I love it, and I have an entire bookshelf of cookbooks to prove it. Lately I've been dealing with some health issues that have completely sucked my energy from me that makes it difficult to muster up the will to spend the time to cook an elaborate meal or try a new recipe. (That's a huge reason why I've decided to really get serious about my food and see if/how that makes me feel better.) To be honest, the worst part about cooking is DISHES. I hate doing dishes. They're not even that hard to do, but I can make every excuse in the book not to do them. I'll put them off until tomorrow, and then until I can't look at them anymore. Even though they never spend more than two days in the sink, I really REALLY don't like doing dishes.

The truth is, it's not always easy to be prepared. It takes planning. You have to remember to take the meat out of the freezer, to get out all the spices, find recipes and plan your menu for the week. It's so much easier to just make excuses. You're too tired, you worked really hard that day, you don't feel like cooking, you'd rather watch another episode of your favorite show on Netflix, and you'd rather just order out sushi or mexican food. (That does mean no dishes, after all.)

You owe it to yourself to be prepared. You can do it. Before the next time you go to the grocery store, plan out your menus for the following week and choose meals and snacks you can cook ahead of time. Cooking a whole chicken, browning some ground beef, chopping up a bunch of vegetables, hard boiling some eggs and making a crustless quiche is a great way to start. I'll be your biggest fan and support system!

Leave a question below or send me an email!

 

A New Challenge.

How to you spend your Sundays?

I'll be spending mine cooking and prepping food for the rest of the week. I've been meaning to start doing this for a while, and after eating tuna from a can and a cucumber from the garden almost every day last week for lunch, I think it's time to get a little more prepared.

This is week is also a time for me to really buckle down and get my food in order. Working a full time job during the week makes it easy to slip into old habits, and I've definitely done that, eating some corn tortillas, rice and (gasp!) chocolate. I'll be completing a 30 day Paleo challenge for myself, and I'm counting on my readers to keep me accountable.If you'd like to join in on this journey, but need more information, email me at mleelutz@gmail.com.

I started some broth in the crock pot last night with a mixture of chicken and beef bones. It's super easy to make (bones, water, vinegar, salt, garlic + crock pot for 12-24 hours) and has many great nutritional benefits. Diane Sanfilippo over at Balanced Bites has done a beautiful job of laying out all the benefits of making your own broth. You can find that information here: http://balancedbites.com/2011/04/easy-recipe-mineral-rich-bone-broth.html

I made a small batch of soup yesterday with some leftover chicken, broth from the freezer, and kale. This will be my breakfast for the week. I'm trying to steer away from eggs - I've been feeling nauseated after eating breakfast in the mornings and want to see if this is the cause.

I'll be cooking some beef patties to have ready to go, baking a whole chicken in the oven, hard boiling some eggs (for my husband), chopping some vegetables so they're easy to either throw in a bag for a quick snack or to throw into a pan for a quick side dish and baking a loaf of zucchini bread free of gluten/grains, processed sugar, and nuts.  I'll post some pictures later this week.

Who else spends at least one day a week prepping food? How much time does it save you during the week?