Top 10 things we eat on the Paleo diet
I thought it would be fun to post a top ten. Maybe there's more then 10? Who knows. But right now... these are the primary components in our new life style that we simply can not live without.
1. Bacon. Yes. Bacon. I loved bacon BEFORE this life style, and it just tickles my funny bone (okay or just makes my stomach happy) that I can eat disgusting amounts of bacon without feeling guilty about it. People look at me like I have three heads when I tell them one of the primary things on my diet is bacon - because - fundamentally? It makes no sense. Allow me to explain...
Good fats don't make you fat. Just as saturated fats do not make you fat. I know, mind blowing, right? Your body NEEDS fat in order to burn... dun dun dun... FAT. Good fats are a main source of energy for people living a Paleo life style. Now, am I suggesting you cook up 3 lbs of bacon and eat it every day for dinner? As much as I'd love to say yes to that question, that is NOT what I'm suggesting. What I'm saying is that your body needs fat to survive.
When your body runs on fat, it produces ketone bodies. This is good.
STAY AWAY FROM VEGETABLE OILS, AND POLYUNSATURATED FATS. They will kill you. For reals. No joke.
2. Coconut oil. I HATE COCONUT. I will say that upfront. Coconut oil, however, is DELICIOUS. I eat it with a spoon. I know, that's pretty gross. Try it before you judge me. Coconut oil is about 90% saturated fat, which is excellent for our bodies - but this also means it has a good tolerance to heat, but it is solid when it's cool. It's great for baking, frying, and mixing with things like almond or cashew butter - because when it hardens, that means you can dip it in CHOCOLATE. HOME. MADE. ALMOND BUTTER. CHOCOLATE. BALLS!
Coconut oil also has Lauric acid - which is the easiest acid for our bodies to digest. It also has antimicrobial and anti fungal properties.
3. Butter and Ghee. And I mean REAL butter. Like, get your ass to a farmers stand and get some real fresh churned full fat butter. Once you have your 4 lb baby, take that log of love home and boil it down. Boil it. Make it bubble. Watch as the milk fat separates. Then gently skim all the milk fat off. SAVE IT. Don't waste it. It's great to saute veggies in! Gingerly strain the now melted clarified butter through cheese cloth. Voila. Ghee.
Butter in it's natural form is not paleo. Once those milk fats are separated you're left with a delicious saturated fat that is not only good for you, but has this wonderful nutty flavor. Ghee also has Conjugated linoleic acids - which have anti cancer properties.
Wouldn't Paula Deen be proud?!
4. Raw honey. I'd never had raw unprocessed honey before diving into the paleo world. It's positively delicious - and much sweeter then the processed honey found in stores. It's not clear and pretty like processed honey - but it's thick and rich and positively delicious. By cutting our all processed sugar - natural sugars like raw honey and maple syrup make excellent substitutes.
Honey is a natural energy booster, helps to build your immune system and has anti cancer properties - and it's great for cuts, burns, hang overs, sore throats, and insomnia!
5. Bee pollen. SAY WHHHAAA??? Yep, bee pollen. Those little nuggets on the furry legs of bees. Sweet little nuggets of health boosting goodness. And what's great? No two bee pollen samples are a like because no two bees pollinate the exact same plants. It's like, SURPRISE! You haven't tasted THIS before. It's sweet and flowery. We throw this in oat meal (STEEL CUT OATS! NOT INSTANT!), smoothies, gluten free baking, etc.
People think we've lost our ever loving minds because this is the kind of stuff we eat now. Raw Honey? Coconut oil? BEE POLLEN? Who can live on this stuff!
WE CAN! One tiny bee works 8 hours a day to collect 1 TEASPOON of bee pollen. Savor this stuff. Seriously. Those little bees work their furry butts off!
Bee pollen is a natural source for numerous vitamins and minerals that help improve the function of the human body. HOWEVER - some people have an allergy to this - before you dive in feet first - make sure you won't have a reaction to bee pollen, much like someone that is allergic to a bee sting!
6. NUTS. We're nuts for nuts! But not peanuts! Peanuts are actually not a nut at all. They are a legume and are not paleo because they anti nutrients - which translates to - the actual good stuff you eat like minerals and vitamins get bound and do not absorb into your body. Poo poo on the peanuts!
Almonds, cashews, walnuts, macadamias are high in saturated fats, are paleo, and provide a great source of protein and omega 3's - which are essential to healthy eating. We make our own home made "trail mix". It usually consists of dried cranberries, chocolate chips (dairy, soy, gluten free), sun flower seeds, bee pollen, and nuts. We practically live on this stuff. It fills you up, and keeps your energy level up without having to consume a sugary "energy drink". Energy drink is another term for "crash and burn".
7. Zucchini - the magical vegetable. Squash? Something. We save the seeds too. Save them, clean them, bake 'em in the oven with some cinnamon or salt. Mmmm... home made squash seeds.
Zucchini can be made into so many dishes it's nuts. If you get a big enough zucchini, you can slice into rounds and make baked "zucchini pizza" - you can dip rounds in egg wash and almond flour - and saute in coconut oil for a healthy version of "fried zucchini". Get a nifty peeler to make long spaghetti like strands for zucchini pasta!
8. Cauliflower. I used to really only eat cauliflower if it was fried. In the beginning, I sort of hated cauliflower. But then... my husband found a way to pan roast cauliflower that made it buttery and divine. Now... we can't live without cauliflower. We mash it for creamy mashed cauliflower, roast it, rice it, boil it, devour it.
Nom nom nom nom nom....
9. Dark chocolate - 70% cacao or higher. I like the darker, the better. It tastes like coffee! I like coffee. BJ... does not like the coffee flavor so much.
Dark chocolate is full of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, is good for your heart, brain, tooth enamel, and helps to control your blood sugar. Just like bacon, don't go eating 3 lbs of it. Everything in moderation!
10. Almond & Coconut milk. It took a little getting used to in the beginning, but honestly - this stuff is delicious. Unless you have a local farmer that you know is raising grass fed free roaming cows that are not shot full of antibiotics and other harmful additives - drinking milk bought from a store is not all that great for you.
Milk is not really paleo. Almond & Coconut milk are a great substitute and so easy to make yourself at home. Store bought almond & coconut milk are full of sugars and preservatives that are just not necessary. Make your own almond milk at home - you control the ingredients, you control the sweetness.
And those are our top 10! Hopefully some of this information is helpful.
And now, I leave you with a cute picture of my cat.
1. Bacon. Yes. Bacon. I loved bacon BEFORE this life style, and it just tickles my funny bone (okay or just makes my stomach happy) that I can eat disgusting amounts of bacon without feeling guilty about it. People look at me like I have three heads when I tell them one of the primary things on my diet is bacon - because - fundamentally? It makes no sense. Allow me to explain...
Good fats don't make you fat. Just as saturated fats do not make you fat. I know, mind blowing, right? Your body NEEDS fat in order to burn... dun dun dun... FAT. Good fats are a main source of energy for people living a Paleo life style. Now, am I suggesting you cook up 3 lbs of bacon and eat it every day for dinner? As much as I'd love to say yes to that question, that is NOT what I'm suggesting. What I'm saying is that your body needs fat to survive.
When your body runs on fat, it produces ketone bodies. This is good.
STAY AWAY FROM VEGETABLE OILS, AND POLYUNSATURATED FATS. They will kill you. For reals. No joke.
2. Coconut oil. I HATE COCONUT. I will say that upfront. Coconut oil, however, is DELICIOUS. I eat it with a spoon. I know, that's pretty gross. Try it before you judge me. Coconut oil is about 90% saturated fat, which is excellent for our bodies - but this also means it has a good tolerance to heat, but it is solid when it's cool. It's great for baking, frying, and mixing with things like almond or cashew butter - because when it hardens, that means you can dip it in CHOCOLATE. HOME. MADE. ALMOND BUTTER. CHOCOLATE. BALLS!
Coconut oil also has Lauric acid - which is the easiest acid for our bodies to digest. It also has antimicrobial and anti fungal properties.
3. Butter and Ghee. And I mean REAL butter. Like, get your ass to a farmers stand and get some real fresh churned full fat butter. Once you have your 4 lb baby, take that log of love home and boil it down. Boil it. Make it bubble. Watch as the milk fat separates. Then gently skim all the milk fat off. SAVE IT. Don't waste it. It's great to saute veggies in! Gingerly strain the now melted clarified butter through cheese cloth. Voila. Ghee.
Butter in it's natural form is not paleo. Once those milk fats are separated you're left with a delicious saturated fat that is not only good for you, but has this wonderful nutty flavor. Ghee also has Conjugated linoleic acids - which have anti cancer properties.
Wouldn't Paula Deen be proud?!
4. Raw honey. I'd never had raw unprocessed honey before diving into the paleo world. It's positively delicious - and much sweeter then the processed honey found in stores. It's not clear and pretty like processed honey - but it's thick and rich and positively delicious. By cutting our all processed sugar - natural sugars like raw honey and maple syrup make excellent substitutes.
Honey is a natural energy booster, helps to build your immune system and has anti cancer properties - and it's great for cuts, burns, hang overs, sore throats, and insomnia!
5. Bee pollen. SAY WHHHAAA??? Yep, bee pollen. Those little nuggets on the furry legs of bees. Sweet little nuggets of health boosting goodness. And what's great? No two bee pollen samples are a like because no two bees pollinate the exact same plants. It's like, SURPRISE! You haven't tasted THIS before. It's sweet and flowery. We throw this in oat meal (STEEL CUT OATS! NOT INSTANT!), smoothies, gluten free baking, etc.
People think we've lost our ever loving minds because this is the kind of stuff we eat now. Raw Honey? Coconut oil? BEE POLLEN? Who can live on this stuff!
WE CAN! One tiny bee works 8 hours a day to collect 1 TEASPOON of bee pollen. Savor this stuff. Seriously. Those little bees work their furry butts off!
Bee pollen is a natural source for numerous vitamins and minerals that help improve the function of the human body. HOWEVER - some people have an allergy to this - before you dive in feet first - make sure you won't have a reaction to bee pollen, much like someone that is allergic to a bee sting!
6. NUTS. We're nuts for nuts! But not peanuts! Peanuts are actually not a nut at all. They are a legume and are not paleo because they anti nutrients - which translates to - the actual good stuff you eat like minerals and vitamins get bound and do not absorb into your body. Poo poo on the peanuts!
Almonds, cashews, walnuts, macadamias are high in saturated fats, are paleo, and provide a great source of protein and omega 3's - which are essential to healthy eating. We make our own home made "trail mix". It usually consists of dried cranberries, chocolate chips (dairy, soy, gluten free), sun flower seeds, bee pollen, and nuts. We practically live on this stuff. It fills you up, and keeps your energy level up without having to consume a sugary "energy drink". Energy drink is another term for "crash and burn".
7. Zucchini - the magical vegetable. Squash? Something. We save the seeds too. Save them, clean them, bake 'em in the oven with some cinnamon or salt. Mmmm... home made squash seeds.
Zucchini can be made into so many dishes it's nuts. If you get a big enough zucchini, you can slice into rounds and make baked "zucchini pizza" - you can dip rounds in egg wash and almond flour - and saute in coconut oil for a healthy version of "fried zucchini". Get a nifty peeler to make long spaghetti like strands for zucchini pasta!
8. Cauliflower. I used to really only eat cauliflower if it was fried. In the beginning, I sort of hated cauliflower. But then... my husband found a way to pan roast cauliflower that made it buttery and divine. Now... we can't live without cauliflower. We mash it for creamy mashed cauliflower, roast it, rice it, boil it, devour it.
Nom nom nom nom nom....
9. Dark chocolate - 70% cacao or higher. I like the darker, the better. It tastes like coffee! I like coffee. BJ... does not like the coffee flavor so much.
Dark chocolate is full of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, is good for your heart, brain, tooth enamel, and helps to control your blood sugar. Just like bacon, don't go eating 3 lbs of it. Everything in moderation!
10. Almond & Coconut milk. It took a little getting used to in the beginning, but honestly - this stuff is delicious. Unless you have a local farmer that you know is raising grass fed free roaming cows that are not shot full of antibiotics and other harmful additives - drinking milk bought from a store is not all that great for you.
Milk is not really paleo. Almond & Coconut milk are a great substitute and so easy to make yourself at home. Store bought almond & coconut milk are full of sugars and preservatives that are just not necessary. Make your own almond milk at home - you control the ingredients, you control the sweetness.
And those are our top 10! Hopefully some of this information is helpful.
And now, I leave you with a cute picture of my cat.
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