Flaxseed crackers

Crunchy.  Salty.  Dippable.  I totally miss chips when I'm paleo.  Actually, what I miss is dipping chips into things.  Salsa, guacamole, french onion dip . . . And it seems like where theres a holiday party, there are dips.  Some are totally paleo friendly, like baba ganoush, and go great with crudités (aka carrots and celery).  But salsa on carrots is lame.  You NEED something thin and salty to transport that cilantro-y goodness to your mouth.  That's where Flaxseed Crackers come in.

I first had flaxseed crackers at a dessert spot in San Diego called Extraordinary Desserts.  The Little Italy location has a savory menu as well and a well rounded Gluten Free and Dairy free menu.  Usually if an item is both gluten free AND dairy free, it's pretty close to being paleo.  I ordered the flaxseed crackers and the basil-walnut pesto.  They were mind blowing good.  I came home determined to recreate them.  Luckily I had purchased the Caveman Feast Cooking e-book, by George of Civilized Caveman Cooking Creations fame.  The walnut-basil pesto recipe in that book is IDENTICAL to the one at the restaurant.  I'd give you that recipe, but honestly, I think you should also purchase that cookbook.  The NY Marinade in it is COMPLETELY worth the cost of the book, as well as all the other wonderful recipes in it.

I know, that's totally mean of me to rave about the pesto and not share the recipe.  But I WILL share the flaxseed cracker recipe with you.  And then you can go purchase the cookbook OR ask Santa to bring it to you.


Raw Savory Flaxseed Crackers 

Don't mind the Target Receipt.  Hey,
It's the holidays, I shop a lot now

from Cooking with Trader Joe's

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups whole raw flaxseed (not a TJ's item)
• 3 cups water
• 3 Roma tomatoes (or 1 cup of heirloom tomatoes if it’s summertime and your TJ's carries them!)
• ¼ cup fresh basil or 2 tsp dried basil
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

INSTRUCTIONS

• 1. Soak the flaxseed in the water for 30 minutes (at which point it will have become completely gelatinous.).
• 2. While the flaxseed is soaking, place the tomatoes, basil, garlic and salt in a blender and puree. When the flaxseed is ready, add the contents of the bowl and the olive oil to the blender and give a few short bursts to combine everything.
• 3. Take 2 cookie sheets and cover with foil. Spray or rub olive oil on the cookie sheets—do not skip this step or your crackers will permanently adhere to the foil.
• (note: I use the Reynolds NON-STICK wrap and NO oil is needed.  That stuff is AMAZING!)
• 4. Drop half the mixture onto the foil on each cookie sheets. Wet your hand and then spread the mixture as flat and thin as you can, rewetting your hand as needed to make spreading the sticky mixture easier.
• 5. Place the cookie sheets in the oven at 170 degrees. In about 2 hours, the top of the cracker will have dried out. You should be able to loosen the edges of the flax crackers and flip the entire sheet and replace on the cookie sheet backside up. (If you can't peel the crackers off the foil, don't sweat it. Just leave it as is, or try again in another hour.) Turn the oven down to 150 degrees and leave it for about 8 hours. 
• (Note:  My oven is OLD.  It doesn't go lower than 200 degrees.  Upon experimentation I found that 200 degrees for 2 hours was enough to completely dehydrate the flaxseed.  I check it around the 1 hour mark and flip it.  If its still too wet, I leave it in for an extra half hour before flipping it)
• By then, the crackers should be completely dehydrated and stiff. Cool completely, remove from foil, break into smaller pieces, and store in a plastic bag. It should be fine for a couple of weeks. Serve with dips, tapenades, cheeses, or just by itself.

120 Days and a Reminder

I celebrated being 120 days Paleo on December 7th.  I then proceeded to fall SO FAR OFF the paleo wagon that I really feel like I don't deserve a celebratory post.  A cookie party, followed by my husband's Christmas Party, followed by a wedding, followed by my husband's catered re-enlistment reception, all wrapped up in eating on the road to and from LA.  I SHOULD give myself some slack.  It's the holiday season, where MOST people fall off their diet.  It was also one incredibly busy weekend, and I am definitely thankful that if I was going to be at THAT many catered events that they happened all at once.  I tried to stay away from Dairy and Legumes, since those would have made being social really impossible (yes that's a a reference to being gassy).  But I definitely indulged in wheat, and corn (with some AMAZING TAMALES) and sugar.  For my celebratory drinking I stuck with red wine and tequila.  But I still gained 5 pounds, and have terrible GI and bloating problems.  Some Dairy snuck through in the form of a guacamole "dip" that I think was probably made with sour cream.  I had a pretty bad asthma attack last night.

Lesson Learned Paleo, Lesson Learned.

So I think after this weekend, I need a reminder of WHAT Paleo is, and what it isn't.

A good friend of mine reminded me that the best place to start is at the Nerd Fitness article
"The Beginner's Guide to the Paleo Diet".  Legos make everything simpler.

Paleo is:

• NO grains, legumes (including soy and peanuts), processed oils (corn, vegetable, canola, soy), refined sugars, dairy (for me), starchy vegetables (like corn or white potatoes).
• Permission to eat bacon (its not really, but it sure feels like it is)
• An excuse to enjoy Meat, Poultry, fish, tree nuts, fruits and vegetables, eggs, good oils (olive oil, avocadoes), seeds (flax, chia, sunflower), and tubers like sweet potatoes and yams.
• A chance to stretch and grow as a cook.

I'm going to essentially start over and take this week one day at a time.  Hopefully by Friday I'll be back on track, have dropped these extra 5 pounds and will feel MUCH better.  

Paleo and Running: what has it done for me?

"You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you stop to look fear in the face."

                                          --Eleanor Roosevelt

My 6th half marathon was the Silver Strand Half marathon.  It was also my second half marathon that I've run paleo.  I've been asked what being Paleo has done for my running.  I initially chose to start paleo for weight loss and to help with recovery.  I had heard that there were elite runners, like Dean Karnazes, who also run Paleo.  So for more than 90 days now, I've followed the restrictions of the Paleo diet: No soy, dairy, legumes, processed grains or sugars or oils.  And I have seen a difference.  

My legs felt incredibly strong on race day.  I had also included hillwork in the last 3 weeks (after half marathon 5, the San Jose Rock N Roll) so I'm sure that training helped build muscle in my legs.  I attribute the quick recovery and increase muscle growth to paleo though.  Its difficult to NOT be high protein on a diet based on fat burning.  

The high fiber, high water content that comes with eating a diet of whole foods, ensured that I was also well-hydrated on race day.  Dehydration can be such a huge factor in race day performance.

Knowing that my diet was well-balanced and HEALTHY led to a confidence that makes the biggest difference.  I didn't wonder if what I had eaten in the days before would lead to GI distress on race day.  Poor diet mixed with nerves can be a terrible combination when you're trying to run your best race.  You don't want to be stopping at every single port-a-potty on the course.  The paleo diet purposely eliminates all foods that can cause irritation and bloating.

Today is the second day after the race and I feel great.  I do have muscle soreness, but my legs feel STRONG.  This is in direct opposition to the halfs that I've run where my muscles are literally DYING because they were consumed in the effort.

I hope that my experience allows anyone who is considering to run paleo to feel confident that others have had positive experiences.

Paleo Chop Suey

Nothing makes me more proud than making a whole new original recipe. I'm normally recipe dependent so when I create something from random ingredients that actual tastes good, I'm surprised.  This recipe for Paleo Chop Suey was inspired by a need for a side dish and I just didn't feel like having a salad.  I had chosen to keep the stems from three heads of broccoli and wanted to use them.  I peeled the coarse outer layer from the stems and sliced them into strips to make the basis of this dish.  I think this dish manges to get an "asian" flavor without the use of soy sauce or Coconut aminos.

PALEO CHOP SUEY
Serves 4 prep time 25 minutes

Ingredients

• 1.5lbs chicken breast, sliced thin
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 3 broccoli stems, peeled and sliced
• 1 carrot, sliced
• 1 onion, sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup broth
• 3 celery stems, sliced

Directions

1. Heat Olive Oil on med-hi heat.
2. Cook chicken, stirring frequently for about 3-4 minute or until no longer pink
3. Add in garlic and onions, cook for 3 mins
4. Add broccoli stems, carrots, and salt & pepper, cook 3 minutes
5. Add in celery and broth, cook until broth had reduced (about 5-8 minutes)
6. Serve alone or on top of prepared shirataki noodles.  

How I stayed paleo on a busy weekend

Anyone else surrounded by candy and Halloween treats?  Man, do I want a Twix right now.  But I'm gonna stay strong, although I promised myself a mini-binge ON Halloween.  After all, who else is going to eat the Almond Joys and Mounds bars that my kids hate?  (Hey, Coconut, almonds and chocolate are paleo)

This was the last weekend before Halloween, so of course it was crammed full of parties and events. On Saturday, my 11 year old and I ran the Spooktacular 5k.  We were the cute mommy/son pair dressed as Superman and Super girl.  This was the inaugural race and I hope they run it every year.  Lake Murray is am awesome location, with gentle rolling hills that provide a challenge for those who make 5ks their preferred distance.  The medals and bibs were adorable.  There was such a great turnout of costumed runners too!  A decent sized vendor fair, with 2 races and a few local businesses represented.  I'll definitely run this again.

We followed up the race with a Halloween party for military families at the Harley-Davidson of San Diego.  Put on by the USO, they offered BBQ, games and trick-or-treating.  I knew that BBQ meant hot dogs or hamburgers, probably chips or beans too.  So with mine and my son's special dietary needs, we just bypassed the "free" lunch and I let the boy choose McDonald's for his awesome effort at the 5k.  I find that being paleo, I have to skip meals at events often.  I have had luck calling ahead and asking for a special meal.  But only when its an event that I've had to pay for my dinner.  I've also found that being paleo, places like McDonalds are NOT a fun option.  Even their healthiest options, the salads and wraps, contain CHEESE and LEGUMES.  So I have to be prepared to do some doctoring.  I order the bacon ranch salad with grilled chicken.  I have to painstakingly remove ALL the cheese from the salad.  If I'm lucky, the preparer has clumped it all together.  Ironically, this is something I HATED before I was paleo.  Then, I make sure to bring an avocado with me and instead of dressing, I cut up my avocado and add it to my salad.  I like to mash it with a bit of salt.  Yes, it takes me forever to start eating, but I'm MUCH happier with my lunch this way.

We got a short respite from Halloween events and during that time I ate an early dinner.  I tried the Coconut Chicken Curry from Fitzee Foods and coupled it with some Coconut Paleo bread from Julian Bakery.  It's nice to have some pre-made meals that are ready when I'm hungry on busy days like that.  We would shortly head off to an elementary school Halloween Carnival where my family would indulge in pizza, nachos, pretzels, popcorn and soda.  I was able to resist temptation by eating ahead of time.

I made sure to hydrate throughout that busy saturday because the next morning I got up to run a distance runs on hills.  I am committed to besting my PR of 2:48:24 at my next half marathon.  That means hill workouts!  I did 10 miles at a 15 min pace.  Slow, yes, but man did my hip flexors get a workout!  That means that my run did exactly what I wanted it to do.  I did get to refuel with a carne asada burrito, but the only non-paleo thing in it was the tortilla itself.

Paleo on a busy family weekend is completely possible.  You just need to pre-plan, have meals ready to go and be flexible when you're dining out.

NOODLES!!!!

Can a packaged product
make you happy? I say YES!

Like my enthusiastic title?  Really that's all I can think right now because I just ate noodles.  Real noodles.  Not spaghetti squash, not strips of vegetables.  REAL NOODLES.  And yes, my Paleo is still intact thanks to House Foods Shirataki noodles.  I grew up eating these in meals like sukiyaki and they were my favorite part of the meal, besides the tofu and cabbage and meat . . . and well sukiyaki has to be one of my favorite all time meals.  But besides with asian flavors and in pho (which I've never had but plan to have someday) what ELSE could I do with these noodles?  There aren't many paleo recipes out there using them.  A lot of people have issues with the fishy smell (which goes away upon rinsing and heating) and the texture.  They're closer to a rice noodle (think chicken long rice) than a wheat noodle.  They've got a gelatin-like texture that may turn people off.  BUT I think the act of twirling tomato sauced noodles around a fork may be enough to get people to try it.  So, I set about to making myself SPAGHETTI using shirataki noodles today.  And I succeeded.  And you all get to benefit from my experimentation.

I found my noodles in the refrigerator section of my SPROUTS market.  Any whole foods should carry it, and if not, asian markets are guaranteed to have them. Just make sure you don't buy the TOFU Shirataki.  Tofu is SOY, which is a legume, which is NOT paleo.  Also, for weight loss purposes, the yam-based shirataki has ZERO calories.  The Tofu ones do.  Shall I repeat that again?  ZERO CALORIES people and I am incredibly full from lunch.

Closest thing to REAL spaghetti 

Shirataki Spaghetti with Roasted Chicken
serves 1 cook time: 15 minutes

waiting for them to "crackle"

Ingredients

• 1 pkg House foods shirataki noodles 
• 2 oz roasted chicken
• 2 tsp bacon grease or olive oil
• 1 medium tomato, diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 onion, diced
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1/2 tsp basil
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/4 cup chicken broth
• pinch of salt and a pinch of pepper

Directions:

mmmm sauce

1. Open and rinse the shirataki noodles.  You just want to get rid of most of the fishy smell.
2. Using a NONSTICK pan, dry fry (NO OIL) the noodles on medium heat for about 5 minutes.  They're not going to get crispy, but they won't be as clear or slimy.  They'll start to crackle when they're almost done.  Remove noodles to a plate.
3. Heat up oil/grease in your pan on medium heat.  Add onions, garlic and tomatoes and fry for about 5 minutes.  The onions and garlic should be soft.  
4. Add tomato paste and herbs, and fry for about 2 minutes.  
5. Add the chicken stock and heat for about 1 minute.
6. Add the noodles into the pan and mix well.  Plate and serve topped with the roasted chicken.  

Nutritional information:  190 calories, 3.8g fat, 0.9g sat fat, 57.3 mg cholesterol, 900mg sodium, 31.6g carbs, 13.6 g fiber, 18.8g protein

My Favorite Paleo recipes: Apple - Dijon Burgers

Two events collided this weekend to point me in the direction of the BEST BURGER RECIPE EVER.  Yes, I realize I shouted that.  If you were here in person you would have actually heard my enthusiasm for this burger recipe.  Event #1: On saturday I picked up my order from Golden Share Foods.  It's "Southern California's largest LOCAL food cooperative".  While the meats are not technically paleo since they aren't grass fed beef and free range chicken, it is REALLY REALLY cost effective and it alleviates me from having to search the ads for meat sales for about 2 weeks out of every month.  I totally recommend using this program.  Event #2: I took the kids Apple Picking while Hubby was trying to survive the Run For Your Lives, a zombie infested 5k obstacle course.  So the kids and I picked probably 10 pounds of apples and you can only eat SO many before you're bribing the children to "eat just one more, for mommy?"  I needed to find recipes to cook them in.  And lo and behold there was the Apple Dijon Burger recipe from Civilized Caveman Cooking Creations.  These burger patties are a bit crumbly, best eaten with a fork rather than in an unstable lettuce "bun".  But they are SO good.  The apples, onion and dijon mustard give them almost an asian flavor which I just adore.  I made these on Saturday, and lucky for the hubby, I'm making them AGAIN tonight because I love them that much.  

My slave labor, I mean, the kids had fun picking apples!

APPLE - DIJON BURGERS
serves 4 cook time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 Lb Grass-Fed Beef
• 1/2 Cup Shredded Apple
• 1/3 Cup Minced Red Onion
• 1 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
• 1 Tsp Black Pepper
• 1/2 Tsp Sea Salt
• 1 Egg

Process:

   

1. Place all the above ingredients except the egg in a mixing bowl and mix well.
2. Use your hand to form 4 even size burgers.
3. Have your grill on medium heat (350-400 Degrees F) and grill for approximately 5-6 minutes per side or until done to your liking.
4. Once you place your burgers on the grill, fry your egg in bacon fat on the stove and set aside.
5. You can now plate your burgers how you see fit.  I used romaine lettuce as a base. The Civilized Caveman suggests serving the burger with grilled onions, and topped with the fried Egg. I ate mine topped with guacamole and tomatoes.  
6. Enjoy

Nutritional Info: 381calories, 30.1g fat, 12.2 g sat fat, 96.4mg cholesterol, 458.4 mg sodium, 6.9g carbs, 1.6g fiber, 19g protein

Paleo Recipe Makeover: Cider-glazed Chicken

You must be feeling pretty lucky that I've made over two recipes in a row.  Yeah, I'm giving like that.  Sometimes the well is dry and I don't come across ANY recipes that are paleo or can be made over for weeks.  It probably doesn't help that all my food searches have been for "grilled cheese".  But then the internet gods send me a sign that I need to stay Paleo (for my health, for my recovery, to improve my running) by sending me TWO recipes in my inbox.  The first was the Creamy Cauliflower Soup from yesterday.  The other was Cider-Glazed Chicken with Browned Butter-Pecan Rice.  I did not attempt to paleo-ize the rice, but the Chicken glaze was already mostly paleo.  I just simply made a substitution of bacon grease for the butter.  If you are primal, or lacto-paleo, you can totally leave the glaze as it is in the original recipe.

trying to do fancy plating

CIDER-GLAZED CHICKEN

serves 4  cook time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 tsp bacon grease or coconut oil
• 1 pound chicken breast cutlets (about 4 cutlets) 
• 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup refrigerated apple cider 
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

simple ingredients 

Preparation

1. 1. Melt 1 teaspoon fat/oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. 
2. 2. Sprinkle chicken with 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. 
3. 3. Add chicken to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until done. Remove from pan. 
4. 4. Add cider and mustard to pan, scraping pan to loosen browned bits; cook 2 to 3 minutes or until syrupy. 
5. 5. Add chicken to pan, turning to coat. Serve while hot. 

nutritional information: 150 cals, 2.5g fat, 0.8g sat fat, 66.8mg chol, 542.3mg sodium, 3.7g carbs, 0.1g fiber, 26.2g protein

Paleo Recipe Makeover: Creamy Cauliflower Soup

I've been a "foodie" for a while now, since I've been able to eat solids at 6 months old.  I've always loved to eat, and cooking was always fun but in recent years I've really put effort into making food that isn't just hamburger helper on a plate.  My kids are older now, and my daughter is especially adventurous when it comes to food.  So I'm a little more free to experiment with new tastes and flavors in the kitchen.  Paleo has just added to that need for innovation.  I don't want to be eating just grilled meat and roasted veggies all the darn time.  I do miss the artisan breads and gourmet cheeses.  I just hold out for when one of my favorite food bloggers puts out a recipe that either Paleo or just Paleo enough that I can tweak it to be so.

Imagine my delight when how sweet it is posted a recipe of for creamy cauliflower soup!  I knew from the name that the recipe would have dairy in it, but I've fallen in LOVE with canned coconut milk and its ability to BE milk or half-n-half or cream in a recipe.  And if you haven't tried it yet, put a tablespoon in your coffee.  It's like a little bit of heaven in the morning.  Her recipe is actually a makeover of a recipe from Bon Appetit, which makes it a Makeover Times Two.  So I took the recipe and paleo-ized it, replacing butter for fat, and coconut milk for the half-n-half.  If you are PRIMAL or lacto-paleo, the original recipe fits your lifestyle and can be found here.  If you're strict paleo, then you can follow my made over recipe.

Ingredients for Nom Soup

Paleo-style Creamy Cauliflower Soup

YIELD: SERVES ABOUT 4

 

PREP TIME: 15 MINUTES

 

COOK TIME: 45 MINUTES

 

TOTAL TIME: 1 HOUR

ingredients:

1 sweet onion, finely diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 tablespoons ghee or bacon grease
1 large head of cauliflower, chopped into small florets
3 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1 cup water
1/2 cup coconut milk
1/4 cups capers, patted completely dry
salt and pepper to taste

ingredients for chive oil
1/4 cup chopped chives
3-4 tablespoons olive oil

directions:

Heat a large pot over medium heat. Add olive oil and 1 tablespoon fat, then add onions with a pinch of salt. Stir to coat and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add in chopped cauliflower and vegetable stock, then cover and cook for 20-25 minutes until softened. A few times during cooking, use your spoon to press down and break apart or mash the cauliflower.

Making the chive oil was a
fun new experience!

While cauliflower is cooking, make the chive oil. Combine the chives and olive oil in a blender or food processer and blend until totally smooth. If needed, you can strain the oil thru a very fine mesh strainer. To fry the capers, heat a small skillet over medium-high heat and add 1-2 teaspoons of olive oil. Add dry capers and shake the pan or stir, tossing for 1-2 minutes until crispy and fried. Set aside to drain on a paper towel.

Once the cauliflower is soft, you can a) scoop it (and all the remaining broth) into a large bowl. Add half of the mixture to a blender with half cup of water and puree until smooth. Once smooth, add back to the pot and puree the remaining cauliflower mixture with the other half cup of water. Add to the rest. OR b) add the 1 cup of water and use a hand blender in your pot.  

Heat over low heat, stirring in coconut milk. Taste and season with salt and pepper, then garnish with capers and chive oil.

Nutrition: 143 cal, 7.7g fat, 1.8g sat fat, 3.1mg chol, 777.3mg sodium, 16.3g carb, 5.7g fiber, 5.1g pro

My Favorite Paleo Recipes: Smoky Beef-andMushroom Skewers with Roasted Sweet Potato Puree

There are loads of reasons to be Paleo.  Some people have medical conditions that are lessened by a diet without processed foods, others follow the diet on their path to greater physical fitness and others live a Paleo Lifestyle because it's better for the planet.  I'm paleo to lose weight.  It's low carb but high energy (thanks to being high fat) so I can still be an endurance runner and lose weight.  It's not often that I find a paleo-friendly recipe in a fitness magazine.  The industry of "fitness advice" still hasn't widely recognized the benefits of a Paleo Diet.  But the "whole foods" approach certainly has and so there are recipes out there to be found.

I found this recipe for Smoky Beef-and-Mushroom Skewers with Roasted Sweet Potato Puree in the September issue of Fitness Magazine.  This recipe is easy to make, quick to prep and can impress guests, especially those who think "this paleo thing" is weird.  Who says the Paleo Diet cant' be Haute Cuisine?  I like to serve this with a side of strawberry and arugala salad with a basalmic vinaigrette.

Smoky Beef-and-Mushroom Skewers 

with Roasted Sweet Potato Puree

Serves 4  Prep time: 10 minutes  Cook time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 3 medium sweet potatoes
• 1 tbsp chipotle chile powder
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1.5 pounds trimmed top sirloin steak, about 1 inch thick, cubed
• 24 cremini or white button mushrooms
• 2 tsp basalmic vinegar

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.  Slice the sweet potatoes in half length-wise and place cut side down on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  Roast 20 minutes or until they are easily pierced with a fork
2. Meanwhile, heat a grill to medium-high heat.  Combine chipotle chile powder, cumin, and 1 tsp kosher salt; add steak and toss to coat.  Thread steak and mushrooms on 12 skewers and cook for about 8 minutes for medium rare, turning halfway through   
3. Remove sweet potatoes from oven, let cool 5 minutes and peel.  Place peeled sweet potatoes and vinegar in a medium mixing bowl and mash with a fork until smooth.  Season with kosher salt.  Divide mashed potatoes among four plates and top with 3 beek-and-mushroom skewers each.  

Nutrition from magazine: 304 cals, 34g protein, 25g carbs, 8g fat, 2.6g sat fat, 4g fiber, 751 mg sodium

Paleo To Go

Sometimes you don't have time to cook.  I'm a busy mom of 2 tweens.  That means school events, karate lessons, Girl Scout meetings.  Add to that medical appointments, my running addiction and the need to "gather" every few days and sometimes I find myself without the time to cook a meal for myself.  To the rescue are a few health conscious food manufacturers that I rely on to help me stay paleo.  My favorite Paleo to go items include:

LaraBars -  Key Lime Pie, Coconut Creme Pie and Lemon Bar flavors.  Made with dates, cashews, coconut, limes and lemons, they are completely paleo friendly AND yummy!

Planter's Harvest Blend Nuts - No added oils make these nuts a safe choice for snacking.  The high protein and fat ratio in nuts is a must to keep my macros in line.  A 1/4 cup of almonds is usually my first snack of the day to make sure I'm taking in fat and protein before I reach for paleo friendly carbs.

Naked Juice - Stick with the "juices" and stay away from the smoothies if you're strictly paleo.  This is my favorite super market treat when I'm shopping hungry.  The Green Machine variety has both veggies and fruits and it's totally paleo.  I also make icepops out of it at home for when the family is eating ice cream and I want a sweet treat too.

Cheribundi Juice - My new favorite post-race drink.  It's got paleo friendly carbs for refueling, and studies are showing that tart cherry juice contains anti-inflammatory and pain reducing properties.

Rhythm Superfoods Kale Chips - I wrote about these in a previous post.  I stalk my local whole foods store for the Nacho Cheese flavor, which is usually sold out.  They are so good that its really hard to believe that its NOT actual cheese on the kale chips.

As I find more paleo friendly pre-made foods, I will definitely share them with you.

This post was inspired by my friend Michelle's blog: Hospitalmom.  For her, altering the way her family eats has been a necessity after her youngest was born.  Her little one has Short Bowel Syndrome, a condition in which nutrients are not properly absorbed (malabsorption) because a large part of the small intestine is missing or has been surgically removed.  I am amazed and delighted by her little one's voracious appetite.  And I'm honored that some of my posted recipes have made it onto their menus.  

My Favorite Paleo Recipes: Chicken Cacciatore

It's a rainy day in San Diego, which means all of us are freaking out about traffic and accidents on the highways.  It also means that we're all pretending to that we live on the East Coast and sweaters and crockpots come out of storage.  I actually use my crockpot year round.  It's an essential piece of kitchen equipment for a busy mom who wants to have time for race training.

My bff in the kitchen

When I started Paleo my first food regret was all the italian I'd have to give up.  I'm a runner, we LOVE pasta!  So one of my FIRST paleo recipe I made was the Chicken Cacciatore that I found at Technically Paleo.  This blogger's first post was all about what's "Technically" paleo and a set of instructions on how to cook bacon.  I recommend a read because it's worth the giggle.

I'd normally serve cacciatore over noodles (and still do for the family), but now I'll serve it over julienned zucchini, onions and peppers or green beans.  I'll just eat it straight from a bowl making "mmmmmm" noises too.  This recipe gives me my italian food fix while allowing me to stay Paleo.


Chicken Cacciatore by Technically Paleo

cacciatore on green beans

Ingredients

• 1 medium onion
• 1 green bell pepper
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 12 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 1 8oz. package of sliced mushrooms
• 2 tbsp dried Italian herb blend
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 6oz. cans of tomato paste
• 1 14oz can of diced tomatoes

Instructions

1. Start by chopping the onion into large pieces. Remove the stem and seeds from the bell pepper and chop it into large pieces as well. The pieces should be about the size of your fingertip
2. Finely mince the garlic cloves.
3. Cut each chicken thigh in half, and remove any large pieces of fat or skin that may still be on the meat.
4. Add the chicken, onion, pepper, garlic, and mushrooms to the crock pot. Also sprinkle 2 tbsp of dried Italian herbs and 1 tsp of salt on top of the meat and vegetables.
5. In a medium sized bowl, combine the diced tomatoes (with their liquid) and the tomato paste. Stir them together so that they form a thick sauce.
6. Add the tomato sauce to the crock pot. Try to evenly distribute the sauce across the top of the chicken and vegetables.
7. Cook everything in the crock pot on low for about 8 hours. When it's done cooking, gently stir everything to even out the sauce.

Confessions of a Paleo Runner

I know some of you have been waiting for the post about my in-race fueling.  WHAT DO I EAT DURING A RUN?  It's a question asked by every beginner endurance runner.  And for those of you who have come looking for Paleo solutions to that question, I have a confession.  *stage whisper*  I don't stay Paleo during my races!

Before you close your browser tab in a huff, please consider this:  Dr Cordain supports using non-paleo  foods during an endurance event in his book The Paleo Diet for Athletes.

"Serious athletes, however, when it comes to immediately before, during, and directly 

after workouts,  need  to bend the rules  of  the Paleo Diet  a  bit  since we're  placing 

demands on the body that were not normal for our Stone Age ancestors. Hour after

hour of sustained high energy output and the need for quick recovery are the serious 

athlete’s unique demands. This requires some latitude to use non­optimal foods on a 

limited basis."

If you are participating in training or a race that's longer than 1.5 hours, you will need to supplement with high-glycemic index carbs.  You COULD carry a candy bar with you, but if you're trying to be as paleo as possible, sports drinks are a better option.  I prefer CYTOMAX brand sports performance drink.  It's a bit lower in sugar than Gatorade.  Rob Wolff also prefers CYTOMAX for endurance events.  

  

You will need 200-400 calories of some sort of carb replacement for every hour that you're performing.  This is of course based on your body size.  Smaller people need less than those big burly guys.  I sip on one serving of cytomax the first hour, then I use a GU with caffeine at the beginning of the second hour  and if I'm nowhere near the finish line, I'll use another GU without caffeine at the beginning of the third hour.  That's a total of 300 calories over 2 hours for me.  I feel great using this combo, and only occasionally have had GI distress after a race.  

If you are determined to stay paleo, I would recommend carrying 1/4 cup of raisins in place of gu and you can make your own electrolyte drink.  The raisins are an EXCELLENT source of carbs.  I found this electrolyte replacement drink at Mark's Daily Apple:

1. Slightly heat some coconut water on the stove. Don’t let it get anywhere near simmering. Just let it get warm enough to melt the next three ingredients easily.
2. Add a few dashes of sea salt, preferably one with high mineral content. Sea salt provides sodium, an important electrolyte, plus trace minerals. You’re going to be burning through a lot of it during the race.
3. Add honey, preferably raw and from a local farm (remember, many store bought honey isn’t actually honey anymore).
4. Add blackstrap molasses. Blackstrap molasses comes after the third boiling of sugar cane. It contains less sugar than either white sugar, brown sugar, regular molasses, or dark molasses, but far more minerals and electrolytes. See, sugar cane is a plant with roots that stretch deep into the soil to extract nutrients (some research suggests sugar cane roots may go down as far as six meters). Very few of those nutrients make it into white or brown sugar, and regular and dark molasses contain some, but it’s blackstrap molasses which gets the bulk of the minerals. So, when you add just a couple tablespoons of blackstrap molasses to your energy drink, you’re getting more than twice the potassium than a banana, more calcium than a cup of raw spinach, and almost 100 mg of magnesium.
5. Mix it all together until everything melts and it’s a dark brown murky viscous fluid. I didn’t include specific amounts, but start with a couple tablespoons of each sweetener and the juice from one coconut (or one carton of coconut water). You’ll be cruising for the first bit of the race, thanks to your effective pre-race training and fueling, but when you really start dipping into your glycogen stores, having a banana or two and a bottle of high-potency Primal energy drink will prove useful.


Read more: http://www.marksdailyapple.com/how-to-fuel-a-marathon/#ixzz2920LHavY

Paleo on the Road

It is indeed Happy Hour when your
paleo-friendly apps are 1/2 off!

I celebrated Day 60 on the Paleo Diet on Monday!  It feels like quite the feat, considering that my last 3 days of were spent eating while traveling to San Jose for the San Jose RocknRoll Half marathon.  It was my first real experience of trying to stay paleo while not being able to cook and refusing to succumb to peer pressure to "just eat like a normal person".  I must have explained the basics of Paleo about 30 times this weekend, each time we ate with a new group of people.  My mom and I traveled with her running buddies, about 14 amazing women who were determined to live it up and run it out.

My race weekend started Friday evening, with a meal at The Counter with my family.  I'd reviewed this downtown San Diego restaurant just recently.  Before taking me to the airport, we decided to carb up at our favorite Paleo-friendly restaurant with sweet potato fries.  I also had a "burger in a bowl" for the iron.  It was going to help my body store and use oxygen more efficiently during my big race.

Not a pretty breakfast but
 it tastes good

Saturday morning, Mom and I woke up at 4 am to see my Daddy off on his 100-mile race.  He'd be running the Rio Del Lago 100 all of saturday and he'd planned to finish around the time we'd be getting up on Sunday morning to run our own race.  A Larabar and a banana continued the carb up while I shivered in the pre-dawn, waiting to see Daddy off at the start line.  (As a note: not ALL Larabars are paleo.  Stick to the ones that contain only dates, tree nuts, fruits, and coconut.  My favorites are Coconut Cream Pie, Lemon Bar, and Key Lime Pie)  We then headed home to pack for our own race.  I completed my carb up with an eggs, avocado and sweet potato breakfast.  That was the last time I was going to get to cook for myself before my race.

After arriving in San Jose (by the way, a car with 4 middle age and older women will need to stop at least 3 times to pee during a 2 hour road trip), we checked in, picked up our bibs and explored the expo.  One of the great things about Paleo is that you don't experience the drop in blood sugar that you did before when you were eating processed carbs and sugars.  So while everyone else was getting cranky, I was holding on pretty well.  We lunched at Baja Fresh, which isn't an ideal paleo choice.  But I made it work, ordering a Mango Chipotle Chicken Ensalada.  I suspect that the mango salsa and chipotle sauce contained sugar and possibly soy . . . but overall it was a paleo-ish choice.  I avoided eating the tortilla shell and asked for NO cotija cheese (even though I REALLY REALLY love cotija cheese).  For a pre-race lunch, the chicken salad option was probably the best choice.  It's heavy on fiber, high on water content and low on binding meats.  Red meat can take longer to move through your system, which may make you feel heavy on race morning.

Dinner was probably the most difficult to handle.  All of the group we were racing had arrived and there was much discussion on eating at the Old Spaghetti Factory.  Italian restaurants are nearly impossible for Paleo people, I try to avoid them all together.  It's a lesson that "Gluten-free" does not equate to Paleo.  Luckily they couldn't take our group of 14 for at least 2 hours, so our group ended up breaking up into smaller ones and Mom and I headed to a 50s themed Diner called Peggy Sue's.  They are a counter Service, sit down restaurant.  They're menu was simple and easy to alter for the Paleo diet.  I had a spinach salad (that was of massive proportion) and a bunless bacon, pineapple burger.  Once again, loads of iron to help with oxygen use.  I am also a proponent of fiber on the day before the race.  It'll help you with that pre-race elimination that is oh so neccessary.  (I wondered how long it'd take me to mention poop on my blog).  Everyone's fiber needs are different.  It's important to experiment during the training cycle to see how much fiber you can take in to help you on race morning.

 I woke up on race morning feeling amazing.  I had nine hours of sleep, and maintained my paleo diet while traveling.  Mom and I ordered room service and split a meal.  I got the eggs and bacon, she got the tomato juice and english muffin.  It's nice to travel with a non-Grok!  After breakfast I was feeling even better!

My race review has already been posted.  I've had people ask about my IN-RACE nutrition and will explore that in my next post.  If you have any questions about pre-race nutrition or about staying paleo while on the road, please feel free to ask!

  

Race Day Ready and still Paleo!

My Favorite Paleo Recipes: Pork Chops with Leeks and Mustard Sauce with Sage and Butternut Squash Soup

I'm still in the middle of race weekend, traveling to San Jose to run the San Jose Rock N Roll Half Marathon.  My family is home in San Diego, eating all sorts of non-paleo goodies that I have been avoiding for the last 58 days.  They're eating pizza and frozen dinners and tacos and french fries.  I hope they're enjoying it!  Just like I hope you enjoy getting TWO of my favorite recipes in ONE post!

Pork Chops with Leeks and Mustard Sauce Found at The Bitten Word

4 servings

Ingredients

    * 4 1 1/2- to 2-inch-thick bone-in heritage pork rib chops
    * 2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
    * 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
    * 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
    * 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
    * 2 bacon slices, coarsely chopped
    * Olive oil (optional)
    * 4 cups thinly sliced leeks (white and pale green parts only; about 3 large)
    * 3 garlic cloves, minced
    * 1/4 cup red wine
    * 1 cup low-salt chicken broth
    * 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh sage
    * 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
    

Preparation

Pat chops dry with paper towels. Mix 2 teaspoons coarse salt, thyme, rosemary, and 1 teaspoon pepper in small bowl. Sprinkle seasoning mixture on both sides of chops. Let stand at room temperature 1 to 2 hours or wrap and chill up to 1 day.

Heat heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add bacon and sauté until crisp and lightly browned. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to small bowl. Increase heat to medium-high. Add chops to skillet. Sear until brown, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer chops to small baking sheet.

Pour off all but 3 tablespoons drippings from skillet (or add olive oil to make 3 tablespoons). Add leeks and sauté until soft, about 7 minutes. Add garlic and stir 1 minute. Add wine, then broth and bring to boil, scraping up browned bits. Return bacon to skillet; add sage and stir to blend.

Nestle chops in leeks in skillet. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover; simmer 3 minutes. Turn chops over. Cover; simmer until thermometer inserted into thickest part of chops registers 140°F to 145°F, about 3 minutes longer. Transfer chops to platter. Tent loosely with foil to keep warm.

Spoon off any fat from cooking liquid in skillet. Boil until all liquid evaporates, about 3 minutes. Whisk in mustard, do not boil. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon over chops.

Nutritional info*: Calories 304  Fat 13.8g  Sat Fat 5.2g  Chol 75.3g  Sod 1701.5g  Carb 14.5g  Fiber 2g  Pro 26g

*All nutritional info was not provided in the original recipe.  I use the Recipe Calculator at Sparkpeople.com to calculate nutritional value.

Sage and Butternut Squash Soup Found at Mastering the Art of Paleo

Serves 8

Ingredients:

• 2 Butternut squash (~6 pounds total)
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 2 Tablespoons honey
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 12 Sage leaves
• 2 Tablespoons minced garlic
• Chicken broth
• Pepper to taste

Preparation

Prick squash several times with fork. Roast on a baking sheet for an hour at 400.
Cut squash in half and let cool.
Remove the seeds from the squash, then peel off the skin and discard.
Chop the squash into 2″ chunks.

In a large stockpot, combine olive oil and onion. Cook until onion is translucent, then add honey and garlic. Cook until honey bubbles and onion begins to brown.

Add sage leaves, squash pieces, and enough broth to cover squash by about 1 inch. Let simmer for about an hour, until squash is very soft.

Using an immersion blender, blend the soup until smooth. Add pepper to taste, and more broth for desired consistency.

Nutritional info*: Calories 155  Fat 4.1g  Sat Fat 1g  Chol 2.5g  Sod 490.8g  Carb 31.2g  Fiber  7.4g  

Pro 3g

*All nutritional info was not provided in the original recipe.  I use the Recipe Calculator at Sparkpeople.com to calculate nutritional value.

Your Thyroid on Paleo

Hey guys!  I'm spending the weekend traveling to San Jose to run the San Jose Rock N Roll Half Marathon with my mommy and some of her crazy runner friends.  I couldn't leave those of you who enjoy my blog without something to read, so I've scheduled a few updates while I'm gone.  If you're interested in tracking my race, you can choose to use Runner Tracking at Competitor.com.  Just search for me, Juri Peterson.  I look forward to sharing my 5th half marathon and first Paleo race experience with you all!

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Thyroid health is a subject near and dear to my heart.  For you see, I don't have a thyroid.  I was diagnosed with goiters on my thyroid in Late 2009.  A surgery in early 2010 revealed that I had Thyroid Cancer and my entire thyroid and 2 lymph nodes in my neck were removed.  The process of learning to live on synthetic thyroid hormone has lead to a healthier and more active lifestyle.  Paleo is a new addition to this lifestyle, one that has brought changes that I didn't think were possible.  

My Paleo friends who do have a functioning thyroid should know that the Paleo Lifestyle does put them at risk of hypothyroidism.  As Sebastien from A Paleo Diet Lifestyle writes: "Iodine is a mineral that is really important for proper thyroid functioning and most people today have very low levels of iodine. You’re at risk of being even more iodine deficient on a paleo diet if you eliminated conventional salt from your diet. In fact, salt started to be iodized because goiters in North-America were a major health problem and most people were deficient in iodine because the soils are now almost universally deficient in iodine. Chronic low levels of iodine lead to the enlargement of the thyroid that we call goiter. Seaweeds are a great source of iodine." 

From my experience with hypothyroidism, you feel lethargic, have short term memory problems, weight gain, bloating, joint pain, hair loss, mood swings and depression.  I had all of those during a 30 day period before I started my synthetic thyroid hormone.  

It seems the iodine and the need to supplement is still debated in Paleo circles.  The folks over at Paleo Plan asked the question "Do you need to Supplement Iodine?".  Their article is inconclusive, but does state that "The recommended intake of iodine per day is 100-150 mcg."  They also link to a website that lists foods high in iodine.  

PALEO FRIENDLY FOODS HIGH IN IODINE 

Measurement is based on a 100 g or 3/4 cup portion

• 1 cup seaweed (hijiki) - 47000 micrograms
• 1/4 lb sea fish - up to 350 micrograms
• 1 cup Basil - 42 micrograms
• 1 cup watermelon seeds - 24 micrograms
• 1 cup Parsley - 22 micrograms
• 1 cup daikon radish - 19 micrograms
• 3 eggs - 15 micrograms

While most people following the Paleo diet do eat eggs regularly, you can see that good sources of iodine that fit into our lifestyle are few.  To get the iodine you need, you'd have to eat large amounts of certain herbs OR you can eat fish a few times a week.  Another option is to use iodized salt in your cooking.  Keeping your thyroid working properly is essential for you to be successful on the Paleo Diet.  You'll feel all the benefits of being healthier and stronger.