Summer Herbal Makings

St John's Wort

Making homemade remedies is one of my favorite things to do. Today, I strained my infused St John's Wort (Hypericum perforatum) oil. I typically harvest St John's Wort around Summer Solstice. Then I put the dried chopped steams leaves and flowers in oil. This year I used olive oil. I let it sit for a few weeks then strain it.The St John's Wort oil is a beautiful vibrant red. I love the color because it's such a surprise. The flowers are yellow! Be sure you find the medicinal plant and not the ornamental.

Lemon Balm aka Melissa

Lemon balm (Melissa officialis) is a great one to infuse as well. I infused Melissa for the first time this year. It's important to dry the flowers first so you don't get extra moisture in the oil infusion. We have a billion lemon balm plants all over our property! It was great to be able to use some. It's not only good to use for a topical treatment it also makes an excellent tincture. Typically I make a glycerin tincture and add chamomile. My son loves this blend. We use it at night as a natural relaxer and gets him ready for bed. The lemon balm has anti-viral qualities as well so I love to use it around the beginning of the school year to help bolster his immune system.

Getting back on Paleo track!

OK. So It's been almost a year since I was completely Paleo. I found it hard for me to maintain. So I fell off the wagon......hard. I have gained most of the weight I lost, back again. I am ready to recommit. I feel so much better when I am maintaining a more than not Paleo lifestyle. I think I may be a rice and quinoa Paleo eater. I am going to try that and see how it goes. Right now we have family visiting from out of town so I am not prepared to feed an extra four people a Paleo diet. So I am preparing to start next week. Now Ia m getting my recipes dusted off. Maybe I'll buy a new recipe book, too.

Homemade Sage Smudge Sticks

I gathered some sage from the garden today and made a few smudge sticks. Some dear friends were getting married this weekend so I decided to make them some homemade smudge sticks. I included lavender, sage (of course!) and rosemary.

Harvesting Lemon Balm

We will make a lemon balm and chamomile glycerin tincture. It's sweet calming affect Jack has been enjoying since he was very little. This year he will help harvest one of the plants that will go into his night time herbal support. Did I mention Lemon balm is also a natural anti-viral? Great for cold season in the fall.

Spring Equinox

 I love Equinox. Or as other call it  Ostara. We had a great time celebrating this turn of the wheel of the year. I used my green table cloth, wine glasses with green juice in them, tulips in a vase and Easter eggs with a treat inside.

A friends came over with her children so we had a five year old, seven year old and a ten year old. She also brought her CSA pork roast. Oh my that was a wonderful piece of pig. So tender and delicious! I roasted beets, sweet potatoes, and blue new potatoes. A big green spinach salad and green string beans rounded out the dinner.The grains were not even missed by any of us!

Before dinner began we said what we were  grateful for, go around the table and each share a gratitude.  Then I instructed everyone to hold their candy filled Easter egg and imagine imbibing it with all that will be new for you in the next few months. This is a great mediation. We quietly sat and thought about how our lives are evolving and what was next for us. The kids said they made wishes, like when you blow out birthday candles.

And of course we dyed Easter eggs. We used these wonderful natural egg dyes. The dyes were so vibrant! They used, cabbage, radish, and onion to make the dyes. None of that artificial crap.Look how great they look! No need for the other stuff!
We also created little planters with egg shells. We planted some herbs and flowers. They will stay inside until the weather is better and they get buried directly into the soil. Fun huh?

Finally back on track!

Well it has taken a month of trying to be totally paleo... again. But  I am finally on board, again. I feel so much better! And I am off sugar as well which I think is the hardest thing to do.  Grains- I love rice but I can live without it. Bread and things with wheat, well it took me about three years to kick that bad habit. And it such like a drug for me. I would be clear of wheat for weeks or months and then I would have a little and it was like an avalanche of cravings would hit me. I would then struggle for a long time fighting the craving to get clear from it again. Gluten filled items would spark such an inflammation eruption in my joints. I didn't have gastrointestinal response to gluten for me it was inflammation all the way.

Sugar is my new monster. I have been fighting it for about six months. Or maybe I should say my whole life. Sugar has always been a challenge. And I think it lies at the foot of all my challenges. Ok Maybe that was a bit dramatic. Maybe not everything that has ever gone wrong is the fault of sugar...... or is it? Well I am none the less, fighting the battle valiantly these days.

I am allowing a little bit of dairy. The occasional bite of cheese or a full fat cream with coffee on the weekend. And I am eating berries. And a few other fruits. Although I had an apple tonight~ whew eeee mama~ That was one good apple. But NOTHING with sugar as an ingredient. Chocolate has been a challenge in the past., so none of that. It's kind of like a gate way drug for me. So I will be staying away from chocolate for as long as I can hold out. When I do decide to allow a little chocolate  it will be dark- super dark. Medicinal Chocolate, you know like 88% plus.

Please send you tip or encouragement. I need all the help I can get!

Welcome Home Chicks!

Well after a year and a half of healing from our chicken tragedy, we are ready to have chicks again. Unfortunately some neighbor dogs got into our chicken fence and massacred 18 chickens. To add insult to injury it was my partner's birthday. Not a nice thing to wake up to. So getting back to a place where we can have chickens again has taken a lot of me convincing my partner and an electric fence. 

So we got electricity down to the chicken house and so we have gotten chicks! We keep them in the garage while they are little and need more constant attention. Beside my son loves to hold them, gently of course and that's great for the chicks too. We want gentle chickens that are happy to have us hang out with them in their yard.

I have had chickens all my life. My dad loved to have chickens. We lived out in the woods with dogs so the racoons left our chickens alone. The only challenge we had growing up was the chickens always escaped. So we were constantly chasing them back into the yard.

So this is how we do it! We use a dog kennel to contain them. The kennel has big holes so when they are little I put cardboard walls up so that they don't squeeze through the holes. And also so the cats don't get them. We have hunter kitties so we have to watch closely until they are big enough to defend themselves. 

They need a water container, and baby chick feed.  Bedding is important to help maintain a warm temperature, we used pine shavings. A not breezy place is good too. It's not unusual for people to keep chicks in the house for a week or two if it's cold in your climate.

It was exceptionally cold today so I put them in a card board box inside the kennel to keep them a little warmer. Chicks need a heat lamp to stay warm. We bought chicks from our local feed store.  They had a min of six so we bought six. We may get a few more. We purchased Americana, Rhode Island Red and Orp Buffington. 

The Americana will produce green and blue tinted eggs. These chicks will not produce eggs for four to five months. So we will need to be patient and raise them through most of the summer before we get fresh eggs everyday!

We will feed our chickens organic egg layer once they are older. They will also get all of our kitchen scraps and since I cook for 7-12 people each night for dinner we have lots of scraps. Also we encourage our neighbors to share their scraps with our chicken too and we share their eggs with them. They love all kinds of left overs including meat. yes, chickens are meat eaters. Usually their meat comes into form of worms, and other insects. They love left over ham. Our chicken do not get a lot of meat scraps but the ones they do they love!

Have you ever had chickens? What was your experience?

 

Elderberry Syrup for Pancakes

I made this elderberry syrup for my friends and family that eat pancakes. Since I am not eating grains these days I didn't get to try it on pancakes. But it got great reviews from my family and friends. Elderberry is known to have anti-viral qualities so it's great to use in the winter when we are all protecting ourselves from the colds and flu flying around. We have been lucky enough to not get ill this season.
I used dried Elderberry, local honey and organic maple syrup. Here is the recipe:

Elderberry Syrup
1 cup dried Elderberries
2 cups water
1 cup local honey
1 cup Maple syrup

Bring the Elderberries and water to a boil and then turn down to a simmer. Simmer for about a half hour, liquid should reduce by about half. Then mix in honey and maple syrup. Pour into sterilized jar and refrigerate.
Here are a few fact about Elderberry, from this website: http://www.sambucol.ca/black-elderberry-facts/

Black Elderberry Facts

• Black Elderberry has been found to be effective against the H5N1 strain of Avian Flu (Zakay-Rones et al 1995)
• Black Elderberry contains a unique compound called Antivirin® that can help protect healthy cells and inactivate infectious viruses
• When given to patients, scientists have found that Black Elderberry has the ability to ward off flu infections quickly (Zakay-Rones 2004)
• Black Elderberries are rich in anthocyanins which are a type of flavonoid – anthocyanins are antioxidants that may protect cells from free radicals and support your body’s immune system
• Black Elderberries have almost 5 times as many anthocyanins as Blueberries and twice the overall antioxidant capability of cranberries
• Black Elderberry has a more potent antiviral effect than Echinacea

Bone Broth

 Making more bone broth today. It seems to be the best soup ever. I can't seem to stop raving about it. I do have to say through this cold and flu season, no one in my family has been sick(knock on wood.) I owe some of that to the bone broth I am sure!
See this previous post for more info: http://naturalpaleomama.blogspot.com/2012/02/homemade-chicken-broth.html
See some previously posted pictures below..

Seriously 12 weeks?

Seriously It's been 12 weeks since I posted last. And guess what? I have not been on plan either. Surprise!?! Well I have been totally gluten free but not grain free. I can;t seem to get corn and rice outta my diet right now. But today is a new day. Or maybe better said tomorrow is a new day. I already screwed up today.  Well I will keep you posted as I reinvest in grain free living.

Spiced Coconut Milk Tea Recipe

Here is a great Paleo tea recipe. I have been using this to keep my adrenal glands and stress levels in check as we move into the busy holiday season. I have been craving spicy mixes that are available this time of year. Cinnamon, clove, nutmeg just sounds so good right now. Since I am staying away from dairy, the holiday favorite Egg Nogg is not an option. I use chopped herbs and you can find most of these at your local Co-Op or natural food market. Or you can mail order them from Radiance Herbs & Massage 360-357-5250
 So try this recipe:

Spiced Coconut Milk tea
2 cups Water
1 tsp licorice roots, chopped
1 tsp Eluethero root, chopped
1 tsp Yogi Tea (usually cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, black pepper, cardamon, ginger)
5 Tbsp of coconut milk

I start with cold water and add the spices to the water. Then bring the mixture to a boil in a sauce pan. Then I cover the pan and turn off the heat but leave the pan on the hot burner. Let it stand for about 5 minutes. You can cook it longer for a stronger flavor. Then strain the herbs pouring the tea into your cup. Next I add my five tablespoons (yes that is right five) of coconut milk to my cup. I like mine creamy and my intent is to get a little more fat in my diet so add as much as pleases you. The coconut milk will melt and cool down the tea just a little bit.
A little about the herbs

Licorice- This roots adds a sweet flavor, being 100 times sweeter than cane sugar. It has a low glycemic index so it does not raise your blood sugar. The longer you boil the tea the sweeter it will become. Licorice is known to boost immunity, reduce stress, reduce inflammation, soothe the respiratory system, and to help with feeling generally run down.

from www.herbwisdon.com

Licorice Root Herb Notes / Side Effects

Latin Names: Glycyrrhiza glabra, Liquiritia officinalis
Common Names: Chinese Licorice, Gan Cao, Kan-ts'ao, Kuo-lao, Licorice, Licorice Root, Ling-t'ung, Liquorice, Mei-ts'ao, Mi-kan, Mi-ts'ao, Sweet Licorice, Sweet Wood, Yasti Madhu
Properties: Anti-allergic, anti-arthritic, anti-inflammatory, demulcent, emollient, estrogenic (mild), expectorant, laxative, pectoral (moderate), soothing
Indicated for: Addison's disease, allergic rhinitis, arthritis, athlete's foot, baldness, bronchitis, bursitis, canker sores, catarrh of the upper respiratory tract, chronic fatigue, colds, colitis and intestinal infections, conjunctivitis, constipation, coughs, dandruff, depression, duodenal-ulcers, emphysema, exhaustion, fibromyalgia, flu, fungal infections, gastritis, gingivitis and tooth decay, gout, hayfever, heartburn, hepatitis, inflamed gallbladder, liver disease, Lyme disease, menopause, prostate enlargement, psoriasis, shingles, sore throat, spleen disorders, tendinitis, throat problems, tuberculosis, ulcers, viral infections, yeast infections. Reducing stomach acid and relieving heartburn and indigestion. Increasing bile flow and lowering cholesterol. Improving resistance to physical and emotional stress.

Do not confuse with licorice confectionery which contains very little, if any, licorice and is in fact flavoured by anise.
Can cause water retention and raised blood pressure. Prolonged use should be avoided if you suffer from high blood pressure.
Can cause mild adrenal stimulation.

Eluethero
Also known as Siberian Ginseng, but not to be confused with American or Panax ginseng. Eluethero is a strong adaptogen that helps your body deal with things like stress, immunity and fatigue.
From www.anniesremedy.com
Eleutherococcus senticosus, also known as eleuthero ginseng or Siberian ginseng, is one of the primary tonic herbs and one of the most widely used herbs in the world. Eleuthero is often recommended as a general tonic to revitalize people who are fatigued. Because it enhances immunity and helps the body deal with stress eleuthero is frequently included in nutritional support programs for people with fibromyalgia, arthritis and other autoimmune disorders. Eleuthero restores overstressed adrenal glands, working wonders for people who are chronically stressed. The adrenal glands have a big impact on our sexual health because of the their role in producing a variety of hormone that regulate many physical responses, not just gender-oriented ones. Tonic herbs such as eleuthero help to prevent "adrenal burnout" caused by ongoing physical or mental challenges. Helping the body deal with chronic stress is the very definition of an adaptogenic herb, and ginseng may be one ofthe most effective herbs in this category. Eleuthero boosts concentration and focus without the letdown than comes from stimulants like caffeine.
Eleuthero is sometimes combined with other adaptogens, like Korean, Chinese or American ginseng, astragalus, or schisandra, to increase its effectiveness.

Yogi tea
This tea originated in the US from Yogi Bhajan, a spiritual teacher from India. He would offer this tea to his yoga classes in the 1970s. It typically consists of cloves cardamon, black pepper, ginger and cinnamon. And a pinch of black tea.  It is a tonifying tea used by many Ayurveda practitioners. It is used to maintain or creat health.

Paleo- Fat is the key for me!

It makes such a big difference to be eating a higher level of fats. Good fats. Like the saturated ones that we have been told for years to avoid. Whole fats, like avocado, bacon, coconut oil. Boy they make such a difference for me.
Ok So I am back on track with a new Paleo plan.
New plan is this:
Strict paleo-
No Paleo breads, gluten free treats- NONE!
No wine (Boo)
No dairy
Carbs consumed at breakfast or lunch only
Carb consumption between 40- 80 grams per day
Drink 120 ounces of water a day
Take supplements that support good food choices- for me that is B vits, Forskoli, Chromium, and Holy Basil.
No eating after 7pm
More protein and veggies!
Nuts are my snacks (with moderation, lots of carbs in a little bit of nuts)
More coconut milk in general
Avoid sugars
More salads
Drink more tea (Licorice, Eluethero, Cinnamon, Clove, Black pepper, Nutmeg, Ginger) I think I will put this recipe in my next entry.

Well we'll see how this goes.

My best advice for My Paleo success

I am trying to return to a complete Paleo plan. I have been off track for a couple of months. As I rethink my last few months I remembered a list a I made for myself. A list of reminders about how to be successful. So since I was revisiting this, I thought I'd post it again.
 Excerpt from July 2012
So let me share some things that are certain for my success:
1. I must be gluten-free at all times. My body hurts when I eat gluten. I get an immediate reminder. It is a very clear message. I also feel foggy in my mind. And no gluten-free substitutes. These options are often not Paleo. Ok I will give myself the occasional gluten free pizza with pesto of course (like once a month, tops.)
2. I must stay nightshade free. Tomatoes, Potatoes, and peppers. Those also contribute to my achy joints and sore body.
3. I must eat protein for breakfast. Eggs, bacon, sausage, etc. And with Kale or other veggies is even better.
4. I must prepare my food for the day in advance. I must bring snacks with me in the car. Nuts, dried fruit, and beef jerky. I am happiest when I eat a sweet potato everyday for lunch or dinner. I love to bring my lunch to work everyday. I love left-overs ( I'm a weirdo, I know.)
5. I must remove sugar from my diet. No chocolate, and limit dried fruit. No cream in my coffee. Even that much sugar can throw me off track. Manage fruits carefully. And Boo, NO ICE CREAM even the homemade kind.
6. I must manage my carb intake. I can eat about 80 carbs a day, max. A min of about 40.
7. I must use a program like Sparkpeople (it's free) to record my food choices daily. I need to be able to not go unconscious about food. It is easy for me to make good choices when I have the data in front of me. I do not consider calories or fat when making food choices. Carb intake is my driver for food choices as well as a desire for high intake of vegetables and good meats and saturated fats.
8. I must consume about 120 ounces of water a day. I must consume my first 32 ounces before lunch.  Lemon water is super good for me.
9. I must exercise. I must sweat. Swimming and land workouts with my partner and trainer are essential.
10. I must be gentle with myself. I must remember I am in so much better condition than I was eight months ago. I must remember that I am doing great. I must remember that reminding myself of old ways can be good. It can solidify the new better way of living. It is not failure.

Ok so now I say good luck to me! I will keep you posted on getting back on track! Please leave a comment!

Halloween Hangover makes for a Paleo Reboot

Wow last month went by so stinking fast for me. I did not feel like I got to enjoy it like I have in the past. I LOVE Halloween and tend to do it up big. This year was difficult to plan a gathering. Halloween being in the middle of the week was challenging for parties and for my little guy. First graders still need sleep in the middle of the week. But he sure did get a big haul of candy. Full candy bars from our neighbors. Oh boy there is still a lot of candy hanging around.
The candy high for my boy has been relieved  by our fabulous local toy store called Wind Up Here. They offered a Switch Witch~ so my son excitedly went to the toy store with the remaining of his candy after a few days of enjoying this special treat and turned his candy in for a coupon for 20% off. Then we shopped to find a "treat" for him. I had a personal goal of spending about $15 which he happily stayed within. He asked about the big gifts but I just said let's leave it for your Christmas/Hanukkah/Solstice gift. Yeah. We celebrate them all!
Now my candy consumption is another story. We bought extra candy for a small gathering of friends. Or at least that's what I told myself. I have eaten a ton and there is still some left. So Paleo has basically gone out the window for me. I still subscribe to some elements like a hearty protein heavy breakfast. But that's about where it stops. I am still gluten free, but I have been eating rice and gluten free breads. And of course gluten free Halloween candy. But I am really ready to get back on track. More bacon, coconut oil, avocado, coconut milk. High fat really helps.
I definitely feel best when I am strict Paleo. Not sure how or way I get off track but its' really hard to get back on the strict horse. I guess it's all part of the process. I was never as strict gluten free as I have been this year. And I have been extremely gluten free. Only twice have I had gluten in a year. One time, early this year,  was a weak moment and the other was a mistake at a restaurant. I am so proud of that and it's pretty simple when you feel so much pain in your body after eating gluten. never the less, it's been a journey.

So I guess I just need to keep trying. Keep coming back to what I know feels so good in my body.  What are your thoughts?

Great Paleo Side Dish- CSA veggies

 Straight from the garden, CSA or the farmers' market, this is one of my favorite side dishes.! Starting at the left~ red, white and blue potatoes, then stripped beets, golden beets and your standard reds, then Delicata squash! OMG this is my favorite squash ever~! The came from my garden and the potatoes and beets came from our CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) share. So the CSA works like this- We make an advance purchase from the farm of let's say $500. This gives us a box of veggies once a week for 20 weeks. Once a week we go to our designated location and pick a box of freshly picked veggies from our CSA farm. They put in the box what ever is in season of  these veggies~ carrots, beets, butter or romaine lettuce, onions, garlic, kale, potatoes, cucumbers, radishes, herbs, fennel, asparagus, peas, beans and a variety of squash. The contents of the box should feed a family of four. Every week we get fresh in season veggies that are grown within a few miles of our home. Talk about local!
This also makes me cook veggies I would not usually try. Like beets for instance, we were just talking about this over dinner tonight. I was saying that we have only been eating beets for the last few years because we didn't even know we liked them. Roasted beets are the way to go. They are sweet and a wonderful substitute for those of us that don't eat night shades like potatoes.
Do you get your veggies from a CSA or farmers market? I'd love to know! Please leave a comment.

Homemade Paleo Hamburgers

There are a few more days of summer left in the Pacific Northwest. We are die hards out here. We will barbeque through the rain to get that last hamburger on the grill! Paleo hamburger have been a favorite this summer. Fresh zucchini makes it easy. You can also add carrots to this recipe. Just substitute some of the zucchini for carrots. I have made this recipe with only carrots. It seemed to turn out just fine.
So you can use wheat free buns if you chose or we just use ice berg lettuce in big chunks. OMG it tastes so good with that crisp lettuce and burger juices running down my chin!
Ok So here is the recipe. You may notice that it is similar to the meatloaf recipe. It is virtually the same idea. Just form the meat into patties.

Paleo Hamburger Patties
2 lbs of grass fed ground beef
1 egg
1 c shredded zucchini
1 Tbsp Lawry's Seasoning salt
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

Mix all the ingredients together. I like to use my hands so that I can be assured that everything is mixed well. Form into patties. With this recipe you should get eight 1/4 patties or Four 1/2 pound patties. It's great to make up a few extras for your lunch. You can freeze the cooked burgers and add to a sweet potato and there you have an instant homemade paleo lunch.

Where do you get your beef? We get asked this question a lot. We buy a half or a quarter cow from a local farmer. We end up paying about $3 a pound for grass fed, anti-biotic free beef. I know the farmer she only raises about five cows a year. Mostly they do as a hobby.  It's not their main gig. They give the cows a lot of love and attention and it shows. The produce excellent meat.We choose the cuts we want. So we are $3 a pound for ground beef, steaks and pot roasts. Of course you can only get a few of some cuts but it is well worth it. Our beef comes wrapped in brown paper not plastic.

Where do you store a half a cow?!? We bought a stand up full size freezer. And think of how much we've saved in the last four years! Now it can be a little rough coming up with $400-$800 to pay for meat in one month. But we always know in advance that that bill is coming our way. It's a great money saver and it certainly is worth the health benefits to our family.

Please leave a comment! I'd love to hear from you all!

Paleo Meatloaf is easy to make!

One of our family's favorite dinner is meatloaf and it is easy to make Paleo.  My son loves this dinner with roasted sweet potatoes and I love to add roasted beets, especially this time of year. Add a fresh green salad and there is nothing better in my opinion!

Paleo Meatloaf
2 lbs of grass fed ground beef
1 egg
1 c shredded zucchini
1 Tbsp Lawry's Seasoning salt
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce


Mix all the ingredients together with your hands. Ensuring that it's mixed thoroughly. Form meat mixture into a shape of a loaf of bread and put into a bread pan. Cook for 1 hour at 375 degrees.  

The zucchini adds enough moisture to keep this dish super yummy and not tough. Also that sneaky vegetable virtually disappears in the meat loaf. So no one would really know there is a whole cup of zucchini in there! You could add bacon to the top for a little extra yum. Criss-cross the bacon for a fancy look!

Paleo Protien Bars

Home for a little break before school starts for my son. I had a friend request a recipe for protien bars so I did a little research and found Mark' s recipe for Paleo Protein bars. So I tried to make them. I added a banana like other blogs had suggested so they don't come out crumbly. Also I didn't have honey or cranberries so I did not add a sweetener but went for chocolate chips instead of cranberries. I also decided to double the whey protein powder. I just thought if some is good then double should be better right? Ok, I always do this to recipes! I should just do it like the recipe suggests the first time right? I can't help myself!

I guess it comes from having some success. I always play with a recipe. Most time it works out great.  Well this was not one of those times! So it turned out dry and not great tasting. This thing definitely needs the honey. The chocolate chips did not make up for the sweetness.

Funny thing though. They feel really good in my body. Does that make sense? It was definitely a satisfying bite of protein. Maybe from a purely mechanical perspective. I think they have potential. Next time I will try the original recipe- without my own personal flare!!

Old habits die hard.

This last week was an extremely stressful time for me. I own a natural health retail store. We carry bulk herbs, organic skin care, eco-style gifts and more~ brick and mortar style. We have about 24 employees. We just completed inventory of our stock which was about 67,000 items. It takes about six weeks to prepare for this event. Our inventory manager did a great job and thanks to Holy Basil tea, I was the least stressed I think I have ever been for inventory. But none the less- it was inventory for gods sakes! And we counted 67,000 items!!

As I was navigating the week I found myself reviving some old habits. I would not eat breakfast, which I now realize (although I kinda already knew it) is a cardinal sin for me. Then I would drink coffee which would take the place of breakfast until about 11:30. Low and behold, hunger would hit me like a train, I would be starving. I recognized this immediately as an old problem. I used to get famished like this all the time. And years and years ago I would go and eat fast food. Now I find it trickle through my thoughts but I don't actually give fast food real consideration, thank god. It was good to remember and I am sad I had to suffer the reminder. Thankfully through all of this I have managed to stay gluten-free. That is super important for my joints. I get really sore if I eat gluten.

I also found that by not feeding myself good foods throughout the day, at night I was wanting to munch more. And when I do this I can never find the food I am searching for. So I end up eating a bunch of unsatisfying foods that are likely high calories or more importantly high in carbohydrates. It's a terrible cycle. Those foods make me more hungry and that in turn makes me eat more. And then I am more hungry. I am so glad that Paleo eating has allowed me to get out of this uncomfortable cycle. I get hungry on Paleo but I don't feel like I will eat the arm off the person next to me. I get to experience a gentle hunger that allows me time to figure out the best way to feed myself. I think part of this is the good fats I am eating. I have lost 35 lbs eating bacon and avocados. I feel so nourished eating Paleo.

I have been Paleo for about 8 months. And clearly, I love it. But it is definately a challenge. Whenever I fall off the wagon I know I want to be back in the arms of a Paleo life style. My old ways are distructive and very unsatifying. But I think I need to remind myself sometimes. I also try to remember that this is a grand experiment. I don't believe there is one way for people to feed themselves. The idea that one eating style or "diet" works for everyone is just crazy to me. So even the boxed versions a Paleo plan isn't neccassarily perfect for me. I am constantly adjusting. That is one reason I am seeing a nauturopath during this process. She guides me and helps me stay on plan. She helps me make adjustments that are both intuitive and science based. A perfect combination in my opinion. A perfect combination for me.

So let me share some things that are certain for my success:
1. I must be gluten-free at all times. My body hurts when I eat gluten. I get an immediate reminder. It is a very clear message. I also feel foggy in my mind. And no gluten-free substitutes. These options are often not Paleo. Ok I will give myself the occasional gluten free pizza with pesto of course (like once a month, tops.)
2. I must stay nightshade free. Tomatoes, Potatoes, and peppers. Those also contribute to my achy joints and sore body.
3. I must eat protein for breakfast. Eggs, bacon, sausage, etc. And with Kale or other veggies is even better.
4. I must prepare my food for the day in advance. I must bring snacks with me in the car. Nuts, dried fruit, and beef jerky. I am happiest when I eat a sweet potato everyday for lunch or dinner. I love to bring my lunch to work everyday. I love left-overs ( I'm a weirdo, I know.)
5. I must remove sugar from my diet. No chocolate, and limit dried fruit. No cream in my coffee. Even that much sugar can throw me off track. Manage fruits carefully. And Boo, NO ICE CREAM even the homemade kind.
6. I must manage my carb intake. I can eat about 80 carbs a day, max. A min of about 40.
7. I must use a program like Sparkpeople (it's free) to record my food choices daily. I need to be able to not go unconscious about food. It is easy for me to make good choices when I have the data in front of me. I do not consider calories or fat when making food choices. Carb intake is my driver for food choices as well as a desire for high intake of vegetables and good meats and saturated fats.
8. I must consume about 120 ounces of water a day. I must consume my first 32 ounces before lunch.  Lemon water is super good for me.
9. I must exercise. I must sweat. Swimming and land workouts with my partner and trainer are essential.
10. I must be gentle with myself. I must remember I am in so much better condition than I was eight months ago. I must remember that I am doing great. I must remember that reminding myself of old ways can be good. It can solidify the new better way of living. It is not failure.

Now that being said I am up about 7lbs from my lowest weight. Which was about 3 weeks ago. Which is not the end of the world but it is frustrating because it takes a ton of more energy for me to loose 7 lbs then it does to gain it. I am sure the gluten-free coffee cake my sweet sister made for me contributed to my gain as well as numerous bad food choices. And the homemade ice cream, I have been making with my son. With whole cream of course.It's good and natural but full of carbs and sugar.

So this plan I have laid out for myself is what I have come to realize is what works for me to lose weight. Eventually I will have to change this plan to accommodate weight maintenance. But I am a ways off from that. Again I am happy to have my naturopath to help me create a healthy holistic plan.

Let me know if this entry was helpful for you. What things have you come to realize about your Paleo journey?

Paleo Chicken stuffed with Apple and Onion Greens

So As I prepared our dinner tonight I was also putting away onions that I had bought at the farmer's market. And I thought "what will I do with all these beautiful green onion tops? Then it came to me! Stuff the chicken with them! So I thought I would also put an apple that had seen better days in them as well. Just to add little extra juiciness.

Now anyone who has read this blog before would know that I feed anywhere from 5-10 people for dinner each night. And we generally eat only left overs for lunch so I almost always roast two organic chickens.

I roasted the fresh chickens on 350 degrees for about three hours. I had about 10 lbs of chicken in the oven so if you have one 5lbs chicken you could roast it for one and a half hours. I removed the fresh (not frozen) chicken from their bag and washed them with cold water. Then I put a half of an apple in each and stuffed them as full as I could with the onion tops, just the green parts. Then I covered them with foil making a tight seal to keep the steam in as much as possible. Then at about two hours I removed the foil cover and basted them in their own juices. I do not use a devise to raise my chicken up from the pan so that the juices drip away from the chicken. I want them to marinate in their own juices. I ususally end up with about an inch or two of drippings. I use that to begin my homemade chicken bone broth. I make broth with every chicken I make. Why waste such a healthy amazing resource! Especially if your chcken is organic.Let me know how this recipe works for you! Please leave a comment below.