Primal Nut

Stress, sickness, laziness… none of them are excuses. I’ve been slacking lately. I’m talking about both staying primal and updating the blog.

This is how I feel lately:

It needs to stop!

My goals by the end of 2012 (some more immediate than others):

1. 90% Paleo
2. Lose 40 lbs. (~2/week) (not final goal)
3. 9 minute 2k time on the erg (rowing machine)
4. Join a Crossfit gym and afford the monthly membership (~$135/month)
5. Become a skating referee for roller derby
6. Upload 4 videos to Primal Nut Recipes (once a month)

Obviously, all of these goals work together nicely.

To reach #1,#2, and #3 I’m going to track my food and exercise online.  I’m not sure which site is the best and if I’ll be able to share on my blog, but there’s got to be a plugin for that, right? Comment and let me know!  To be honest, I feel like this back-and-forth between paleo and SAD (Standard American Diet) is worse for me than just sticking with one or the other. I end up eating more fat while I’m also eating carbs. Not always at the same time.  Correct me if I’m wrong, but I think I read somewhere that that’s a recipe for disaster.

To track my progress on the Concept II, I’ll be sharing my logbook. My baseline 2k will be done this week, as soon as I don’t feel like complete crap (I’m still getting over a wicked case of bronchitis). In college my best time was 7:16. I think 9 minutes is a very realistic goal.

#4 is just a matter of budgetary constraints and prioritizing. It kills me that Crossfit is so expensive. I understand that the equipment is top notch and you’re basically getting feedback from a personal trainer on what to do and how to do it, but $135/month is jaw-dropping.  Starting CrossFit is exciting to me, mostly because I already have a Concept II rowing machine at home (that’s 16 years old BTW)! Also, it reminds me of the heavy lifting I did in college. I’ll take a WOD over an hour on the elliptical any day.  Plus, I’ve always been super competitive. So I would push myself by trying to beat my last WOD time, lift heavier, row faster, etc.

Leave a comment below about CrossFit, sticking to 90% paleo, budgeting, or just say hi!

It’s officially been ONE WEEK of no sugar/gluten/corn syrup/crap!

If you didn’t know I was doing the 21 sugar detox, pull your head out of the sand and watch this video!

The first few days were pretty hard.  I crashed a lot from lack of caffeine and felt moderately hungry all the time.  By day 4 I was gettin’ into the groove of it, but craved a hot satisfying meal (instead of all the deli meat, eggs, pickles, etc).  So we grilled some steaks that night and that was all I needed to push me through the rest of the week.  On to week #2 – It will be challenging because I’m going to Indiana for a roller derby tournament this weekend. Four days away from my kitchen.  I predict lots of snacks, steak, Jimmy John’s, and Qdoba.  And you know I’ll be taking pictures to post on my food photo blog – AbbyEats.

For the first week of 21DSD, I’ve also been tracking my food intake on SparkPeople.com.  I wanted to make sure I was under 100 grams of carbs and getting enough protein and fat.  I’m not worried about calories, but I find it really interesting that I ate so much more for the first two days.  After week one, I haven’t been hungry all the time and can go longer stretches of time without a meal.  This will be great for the 6 hour drive to Indiana.  I noticed this phenomenon last year when I was strict Paleo.  Feed your body awesome, nutritious food (versus stuffing yourself with filler) and you don’t need as much volume or calories to feel full.  Plus, you feel full longer.  What do you think of my Weekly Progress?  The 2 grams of fructose is from a trail mix that I got with raisins. I didn’t eat the raisins, it was just easier to track it that way.

I hope you’re all having a great May!

Just checking in with a few quick items.  We ordered 10 lbs. of grass fed meat from US Wellness Meats.  I couldn’t tell much difference between the ground beef, it was just a little greasier than what we normally get.  However, the beef sliders we AMAZING.  I made three last night with two eggs over easy and it all just melted in my mouth. I can’t get over how delicious they were!  Zack agreed.  I can’t wait to try the rest of our order.

Starting tomorrow, I’m starting the 21 Day Sugar Detox.  I didn’t buy the eBook, but it’s pretty simple.  Avoid carbs, fruit, sugar, fake sugar, etc.  Just eat whole foods.  Worst case scenario, just eat meat cooked in butter .  I’m going to severely limit my alcohol intake, but not eliminate it.  I’ll drink vodka and club soda with a lime.  Or is tequila better?

I’m thinking about vlogging my experience sans sugar on my PrimalNutRecipes YouTube channel.

Then this weekend we’re visiting a new farm in Perryville, MO – Three Spring Farm.  They will have seven steers available at the end of May, so we’re considering purchasing a 1/4 steer.  It’s a lot of meat though, about 80lbs., which means we need a deep freezer!  I’m hoping to find something cheap on Craigslist.  How do you handle your meat purchases?

Leave a comment about US Wellness Meats, the 21 day detox, or local farms.  Or just say “hi”!

I’m happy to say that I haven’t gone out to lunch at work since MARCH 6TH! (Coincidentally, my last blog post date, which was also a grocery shopping day)  That is a record for me!  For most of my lunches, I just packed up dinner leftovers.  On the other days,  I had to scrounge up some salad fixings.  Not only am I saving money, but I’m also avoiding the temptation to order something bad.  For me, it’s a lot harder to specialty order my meal at a restaurant (no bun/fries/side salad/etc) when I’m out with friends or coworkers.

Since Zack and I eat pretty well at home, I can already feel the difference in my body.  I’m not as sick or bloated as I am when I’m on SAD (Standard American Diet).  I’ve also started incorporating whole milk into my diet.  I’ve found that dairy doesn’t have a negative effect on my system, so I use it to curb my sweet tooth or for a quick breakfast in the morning.

Here are some pictures of my March meals. These all came from my Tumblr photo blog – AbbyEats.

On the TO DO list: New recipe video, Update shopping list, US Wellness Meats order!

I found these Plantain Chips at the grocery store last night.  Instead of sunflower oil, like the ones at Trader Joe’s, these are made with Palm Oil.  I’m not really sure if that’s better or worse, but I’m going to see how I feel.  What’s the opinion on Palm Oil?

M2A, it’s trademarked!

“TEDxManhattan 2011 Fellow Stefani Bardin’s video, below, shows what happens in your body when you eat processed foods vs. homemade versions of similar foods, using a tiny M2A LED/camera capsule. The project looks at two subjects eating two similar meals: one composed of processed foods (gatorade, ramen, and gummi bears); the other of homemade versions (hibiscus drink, homemade broth with noodles and gummi bears made of juice). What happens to the foods is drastically different”

Are you surprised? Ick.

Egg Muffins, Delish and Portable

I’m focused and eating well.  Here’s the menu from this week.  You can see most of the images on my Tumblr photo blog – AbbyEats.  It may not be perfect, but close enough (and way better than the last couple months).  After looking at this menu, it’s obvious that I rarely have breakfast.  I love it, I’m just too lazy to make anything in the morning.  I need to make some egg muffins next week!

Saturday
breakfast: 3 eggs over easy
lunch: mexican ground beef, homemade pico de gallo, lettuce wraps
dinner:

Monday
lunch: Jimmy Johns #9, no mayo, extra meat
dinner: Stir Fry Steak and Veggies

Tuesday
lunch: Taco Salad
dinner: Taco Salad (also made this Green (Not Bean) Casserole and was not impressed)

Wednesday
lunch: Crock Pot Chicken, red pepper, avocado
dinner: leftover Mexican ground beef

Thursday
breakfast: 2 Diet Coke cans (it was a rough day)
lunch: Jimmy Johns #9, no mayo, extra meat
dinner: Chipotle Chicken Salad (I had a late eye appt)

Friday (planned)
lunch: ham & eggs
dinner: Baked Shrimp and Asparagus

Ellis, Our Boxer

My beloved Boxer passed away last Thursday. We were completely devastated. Not only because he was only 3 years old, but because, to Zack and I, he was our child. We raised him, trained him, loved him. He was the best dog I’ve ever owned and the first time I’ve had to make that hard decision. It was the right decision. He had cancer, and it was progressing rapidly. We’ve been dealing with it since last August. He was better on steroids for about 5 weeks, but in the last 9 days he really took a turn for the worst.

It kills me that we were such good owners – trained him well, fed him grain-free, etc. but he still had to suffer and eventually his body couldn’t handle it.

I’m sorry for such a somber post, but I wanted to share what’s going on in our lives. Unfortunately, all the stress has kicked me right off the primal bandwagon. I was eating crap and feeling like crap. It didn’t help that I was in Georgia for Christmas and Las Vegas a week after that (but no excuses). I made a commitment (again) to myself and went to the store on Friday to get back on the right track.

My mom was in town last month, so we recorded a cooking video! I hope to do more of these in the future. I think I’m getting better at editing and lighting since the first video… what do you think?

To view the full recipe, check out Mark’s Daily Apple.

Ingredients:
1 head cauliflower
2 tablespoons butter
1-3 tablespoons cream (optional)
salt & pepper taste

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup frozen organic peas & carrots, thawed
3/4 cup frozen organic green beans, thawed
1 pound ground grass-fed beef or bison
1 tablespoon coconut flour or almond flour
3/4 cup beef stock or broth
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary or 1 teaspoon dried
2 tablespoons butter

Sometimes I’m reminded of Sandra Lee’s Food Network show Semi-Homemade when I’m making traditional meals or dishes for other people.  And as much as she irritates me, I can relate.  Making some full-blown primal meals, while partial cheating your way through others seems like my MO.

This Thanksgiving we decided to stay home and have a nice quiet day/night with friends.  Only a few people came over, so I made a simple menu consisting of Thanksgiving staples and some other recipes I’ve been wanting to try.

1. Smoked Turkey (on the grill)
2. Garlic Roasted Sweet Potatoes
3. Layered Pea Salad
4. Green Bean Casserole
5. Crab Dip
6. Zucchini Chips

This was the first time Zack and I cooked an entire turkey.  Needless to say, we made a few mistakes.

First, I bought an 8 pound frozen whole turkey breast and didn’t realize until I unwrapped it.  Oops! I didn’t know that was an option!  Oh well, the white meat’s my favorite anyway.  Second mistake came Wednesday night when I started thinking about how to defrost the turkey. 24 to 48 hours!?!?! Shit.  Fortunately, a friend of mine suggested submerging it in the bathtub with warm/hot water.  Unfortunately, I left it in the bathtub over night :-/.  It was only about 5 hours, but I was worried it spoiled.  I wasn’t familiar with how a raw turkey feels and smells – it seemed too gooey.  In the end, we decided to cook it anyway*.  Since it was going in the smoker, it would be at temperature for a long time and that would hopefully kill any bacteria.

After those mistakes, it was smooth sailing.  I seasoned the bird with a mashing of rosemary, thyme, juice of one orange, and Kerrygold butter.  We also stuck some lemon and orange slices in the cavity and put it in the smoker.  Zack would know more about this, but I’m pretty sure he smoked it for a couple hours and then put it on the grill (grilling with indirect heat) for another few hours.  As you can see from the pictures, it turned out AWESOME!  It was so juicy and flavorful!  I definitely recommend this method for your Thanksgiving turkey next year (minus the bathtub defrost).

The rest of the recipes I’ve linked to above.  The layered pea salad is a family recipe adapted over the years.  You layer the following: canned peas, carrots, bacon, hard boiled eggs, red onion, and mayo.  Ugh, it’s one of my favorite things about Thanksgiving. The crab dip from Nom Nom Paleo was absolutely awesome.  It was gone in two seconds. The zucchini chips were a little limp, but I didn’t have the perfect rack to cook them on (I actually used our microwave rack!).  The only thing that BOMBED was the garlic sweet potatoes.  They didn’t cook fast enough (I allowed 40 min) and when they did, they were chewy.  No biggie though, everyone was stuffed after that menu.

How was your Thanksgiving?  Did you spend it with friends, family, or both?  Did you keep it Paleo/Primal or did you go semi-primal?

*No one got sick!