My 30 Day Nutritional Challenge-Paleo Eating

You may know this about me (or not), but I love to get sweaty, lift heavy things and generally feel like I could kick someone’s butt if I had to. It’s the little girl inside of me, ready for the day I need to defend myself.

But, working out isn’t enough for me, or for anyone. Diet is 90% of what makes your body look the way that it does.

Don’t like your body? Look in the fridge. Whatcha got in there? Some ice cream, frozen pizzas, nitrate-laden meat, sugary condiments and dressings?

What’s in your cabinets? Crackers, pastas, sugary cereals and processed/packaged foods?

That’s going straight to the hips, ladies (and men).

Biceps and I already love to eat healthy-for the most part. (Let’s just say-cheese is awesome). However, we enjoy our veggies, lean protein, and fruit without reservation. That’s one of the main reasons that I love to have my own garden-I call it my “veggie wonderland”.

So, when it came to participating in a Paleo nutritional challenge my Crossfit group was doing, I was excited…but hesitant.

I don’t do diets. I don’t do hungry.

So, what did “Paleo” mean, exactly? Was this just another fad like Atkins or HCG? Would it mean feeling hungry all of the time, having no energy, and generally hating life?

I did a bunch of research, read the good and the bad and the ugly.

So-what is “Paleo”, exactly? Succinctly, it stems from a belief that we should eat like our ancestors did-cutting out all of the junk, the processed food, dairy, grain products and legumes.

This meal is considered Paleo and took me about 10 minutes to make. Paleo means eating a lot of:

• lean protein throughout the day (chicken, turkey, eggs, beef, fish, etc),
• coupled with a few good fats (avocado, coconut, nuts, olive oil, etc),
• and a ton of non-starchy vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, spinach, tomatoes, etc).

But you can’t eat:

• dairy (eggs are not dairy, even though that’s where they are in a grocery store),
• sugar or sweeteners of any kind,
• rice, grains or beans.

I started this challenge last Monday and I’ll be eating a Paleo diet for the next month. I’ll periodically give you updates on how I’m doing and I’ll tell you the truth as to how I’m feeling–and if my workouts are suffering.

Here’s a quick look at this last week for me as I voyaged into the Paleo world.

Day 1. “Yeah! This is fun and easy!”

Day 3. “I WANT POTATO CHIPS!”

Today.

“I feel like a happy brussel sprout.” Which is hard to do.

I disagree with some of the philosophy of Paleo-no beans or rice, no honey, and no dairy. But, I can do anything for 30 days. Right? RIGHT?!

And, I will tell you that I am sleeping better-like through the night. And, I’ve already noticed a change in my body as I’ve deprived it from bad fats and sugars.

But, it hasn’t cured my weirdness at all. I think that’s here to stay.

Tasty, Healthy Pizza Alternative

Truth be told, I love pizza. It’s one of my favorite indulgences. But, as Father Time marches on, I have come to realize I am not 22 anymore. Indulging in even one slice of pizza can equal 400 calories or more.

I have to watch what I eat, when I eat it and how much of it I’m consuming. And, that usually means no more than one indulgence a month. I was pretty bummed about giving up pizza altogether, so I needed an alternative.

Enter my salvation from a pizza-free diet: Lavash Bread. This recipe is so easy that it’s done in a matter of minutes. There is no pan required, no dough to let rise and the tasty results are a little over 100 calories for the entire thing-depending on how much feta cheese you require.

Hallelujah.

Here’s all the you’ll need to make your very own Tasty, Healthy Lavash Pizza:

Lavash Bread-I prefer Jospeh’s (they come 4 to a pack for about $2)
1 TBS Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 tsp Garlic Salt
1/4 tsp Italian Seasoning
1/8 C Red Onion
6 Cherry or 3 Grape Tomatoes
1-2 TBS Feta Cheese
6 Medium Leaves of Fresh Basil

Preheat the oven to 425.

Tear off a large enough square of aluminum foil to place the lavash bread on. Pour about a Tablespoon of Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) in the center of the bread.

Using the back of a spoon, spread the EVOO out into a thin layer, covering the entire piece of lavash bread.

Sprinkle the entire piece of lavash bread with Garlic Salt.

Next, sprinkle the entire piece of lavash bread with Italian Seasoning.

Chop up about a handful (about 1/8 Cup) of red onions and distribute them around the bread.

Quarter the Grape Tomatoes or halve the cherry tomatoes and place them evenly around the lavash bread.

Add about 1-2 TBS of crumbled feta cheese. Place the lavash bread with aluminum foil underneath on the middle wire rack in your preheated oven.

Cook for 5-6 minutes or until the edges are turning slightly brown.

Add the fresh basil leaves and return to the oven for 1 more minute.

Slice up into manageable squares and enjoy. So simple, so inexpensive, so healthy and sooooo tasty.

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