Refreshing summer green smoothie (paleo-zone)

I love smoothies, however, I rarely get them because they're loaded with fruit and other sugars that make them too carby. However, I was at my yoga studio the other day and they make this awesome smoothie that is refreshing and not too sweet! Below is my paleo-zone rendition...

Paleo-Zone Green Smoothie

Ingredients

• 1/2 a medium cucumber sliced (made about 1.5-2 cups sliced cucumber)
• 6 chunks of pineapple (I used fresh)... 
• 1/2 cup almond milk
• 1/2 cup mint water (I used MetroMint)--you could also throw in a bunch of mint leaves if you have fresh... or maybe a few drops of mint extract?
• 1/3 of a frozen banana
• a scoop or two or ice...depending on how you like your smoothies

Directions

1. Blend thoroughly

2. Enjoy immediately!

This is roughly 1 block of carbs and 1 block of fat

Paleo-Zone Sweet Potato Hash

So far I'd say the Zone thing is pretty reasonable. I will say Memorial Day was not totally "in the zone", but I did alright. I also did a lot of working out this weekend- so I'm not going to beat myself up over it!

Anyway, this hash has become a go-to breakfast for me. I eat a little shy of 2/3 cup of this with a few sliced strawberries, 1 tsp almond butter, 2 eggs over-easy, and 1/2 of a chicken sausage link.

*I count the bacon in this as a block of fat per serving... The bacon I used was 5g of fat per 2 slices.. so 6 slices = 15g fat, divided over 7 servings is roughly 1 block of fat. I know zone counts bacon as a protein... but bacon has way more fat-blocks than protein-blocks per serving... so I've counted it as a fat here. I don't know if it's right-- it's just what I did. My bacon has 5g of protein per 2 slices... so 15g of protein in the entire recipe, divided by 7 servings is about 2g protein per serving, which is a fraction of 1 block of protein (literally 2/7). Thus, I count the protein from the bacon in this recipe as negligible.

I've seen mixed reviews on how to count sweet potatoes on zone-- I've seen it range from 1/5cup-1/3cup = 1 block of carbs. I went with the 1/3 cup estimate. You could use 4.5 cups of sweet potatoes to make 18 blocks of carbs if you think I've underestimated the carb-block value of sweet potatoes. Or not.

Sweet Potato Hash

21 blocks (about 2/3 cup = 3 blocks of carbs, 1 block of fat)

Ingredients:
- 1.5 cups of onion, chopped (1 block carbs)
- 2 cups bell pepper and/ or poblano pepper (use a mix), chopped (1 block carbs)
- 6 cups sweet potato, shredded (18 blocks of carbs)
- 6 slices bacon (see*)
- Salt/ pepper
- ½ tsp Cumin powder
- ½ tsp cayenne powder (optional)
- 1 tsp garlic powder

Directions
1. Cook bacon in large skillet/ pan.
2. Remove back from pan
3. Add onion, peppers. Saute until slightly softened
4. Add shredded sweet potato—allow to cook with lid, turning occasionally until potatoes are thoroughly cooked and browned
5. Add salt, pepper, cumin, garlic, and cayenne
6. Crumble bacon, add in to pan
7. Allow to cool, divide into 7 containers or just measure as needed (~2/3 cup = 3 carb blocks)

Why Paleo Isn't "Working"?!

Hello friends.

I've been doing a lot of thinking about the paleoness lately. I started trying out paleo back in 2010 in an attempt to lose a few pounds. I originally found that when I stuck to it in a really strict way (in the-- I can't even eat sweet potato fries because they are cooked in a soy-containing ingredient- way), I lost about 5 pounds. However, if I'm not being incredibly strict, my weight stays about the same... and maybe even creeps up over a couple months.

WHY?!

Well. Like any good researcher, I started to examine the issue... I kept a food diary so I could see what I was really eating. I know a lot of people aren't about calories in/ calories out... but to SOME extent- I do believe if you start taking in a LOT more calories (especially not high-quality calories often found in the "80% paleo" person's diet), you will not lose weight. You may even gain weight. Just my two cents.

Anyway... what did I find? I found that I ate a lot of red meat (ground beef, steak..grassfed, but still), processed meats (breakfast sausage, bacon), nuts and nut butters (in one day I ate a quarter cup of almond butter... wtf?), paleo "treats", and I eat out a lot- so I have a lot of "cheat meals". Sometimes to the point where it becomes dumb to call them cheat meals because they're so frequent, lol. Maybe we should just call them normal meals?

Anyway- no big deal. It is what it is. In thinking about how I wanted to rectify the issue I went through a variety of thoughts... maybe I should do strict paleo again? Should I just count calories like the rest of the world? Something else?

So I did a PubMed search and found:

1. Keeping a food diary is recommended, pretty much always
2. I didn't come across a single NEW study advocating a low-fat, high-carb diet. So everyone, please stop saying that's what is recommended by scientists today. The GOVERNMENT may recommend that with their food plate...but scientists do not recommend it. There's a difference. A really big one. Even when people do recommend carbs, no one is recommending white bread and pasta.
3. Bacon isn't good for you (neither is pork sausage). Even the nitrate-free bacon. I searched high and low trying to prove myself wrong... but alas, bacon is not good for you. (best case scenario-- it may not hurt you in moderation). I'm not saying you can't eat it... but I am saying, according to the research, you shouldn't eat tons of it.
4. Red meat is questionable. Lots of research out there saying red meat is not the optimal meat to put in your system. I couldn't find a lot of work done on grassfed beef (I'm sure it's out there... I just didn't come across it). Anecdotally I've heard it's better...but I heard that from the people who sell it to me, lol. I'm skeptical. I've also read red meat has lots of B-vitamins, iron, and other minerals, etc. Granted... leafy greens have those too....
5. Fish = good. Omega3's, lean protein... good stuff... no one is really that concerned about heavy metal poisoning. You'd have to eat so much fish everyday for that to be a problem... and 99.999% of people don't want to eat that much fish. Fresh-caught fish is better than farmed-raised fish... duh. Happy fish are better.
6. In fact, lean meats = good. Fish, chicken, turkey... good stuff.
7. Vegetables = winner. No surprise here. Eating fresh vegetables is really good for you. So is fresh fruit. I didn't find anything saying how much fruit though... or what kinds of fruit.

So really, nothing earth-shattering. This was not a systematic-review...so it's not exhaustive. It's not cited. It's not complete. It just what I found.

When I think about the typical diet of a 80% paleo person (which is most paleo-people I know)-- I see that they eat lots of burgers and sweet potato fries, paleo treats, trail mix, fruit, and bacon. I don't see a lot of them eating a lot of fish and vegetables. Yes- certainly they eat more than most of the population--and I think even the 80% paleo diet is better than the standard american diet (SAD)... but I don't really care about comparisons to SAD. I want the best diet that leads to the best health and best physical and mental performance. Is that paleo? I don't know.

Anyway- in short. I've been trying a lot of things to optimize my diet.

1. I've reduced (pretty much eliminated) paleo treats from my diet.  That means no paleo crunch or paleo cookies/ muffins, etc. That stuff is loaded with sugar, and sugar is bad. Doesn't matter if it's honey or maple syrup- it leaves me feeling hungry (hangry, really) in an hour... and if I eat that crap before I workout, I generally have a crappy, lethargic workout. It probably goes without saying-- but I'm avoiding non-paleo treats too...lol. Just to clarify. Not to say I'm not going to eat a slice of birthday cake or something-- but I've taken this out of my day-to-day diet. 
2. I've reduced the amount of red meat, bacon, and pork sausage I'm eating. This sucked. Chris and I bought a portion of a grassfed cow--and part of it is still in my freezer. So, it will get eaten eventually, just maybe not at the same pace as before. Have I noticed any differences in how I feel? Yes and no. I do feel like red meat kinda weighs you down... and it sits a little more heavy in your stomach than chicken or fish. I don't know that I noticed I feel better because I'm not eating as much red meat, rather, I feel better because I'm eating more fish. I don't know what it is... but fish just makes me feel healthy. Maybe it's just me. 
3. I did use My Fitness Pal to track my food, which automatically counts your calories... I tried playing this game for a couple weeks on and off... Counting calories is not a fool-proof way to lose weight. Very few people are out there weighing and measuring everything they eat, and accurately capturing their true caloric intake. Thus, this wasn't super useful to me. Plus, their recommendation was that I "net" 1300 calories a day... I can tell you I felt like garbage on those days. I workout a lot... sometimes I run before work, and then do a lifting session and a CrossFit WOD after work. Is 1300 calories enough to support that? Also- apparently you burn 0 calories doing strength exercises. Sorry, but I'm pretty sure I'm sweating my a$$ off when I do 30 back squats at 200 pounds... so I'm pretty sure I've burned off at least 1 tic tac in that period of time. Enough said.
4. Zone... So now I'm trying zone proportions of mostly paleo/ primal foods. I throw in some gluten-free stuff here and there, but I don't eat a lot of grains. So far the Zone thing is difficult, but I'm literally like 36 hours in. I just need to learn how to make a couple meals that are in the correct proportions, get my blocks right, and learn how to eye-ball portion sizes. I think for me, portion-size is key. I can put a lot of food down unfortunately... so keeping my portion sizes in check is critical for me. 

SO. In sum- if you are struggling with losing weight on paleo I'd do a few things:

1. Keep a food diary for a week... or at least 4-5 days, including some weekends. Just write it all down... no judgement. Write it down if you have a couple beers, cake, kale, whatever. Write everything down. If you lie on your journal-- you're just hurting yourself...and biasing your analysis!
2. Analyze what you're eating at the end of the food journaling period... 
1. Are you eating a LOT of vegetables? If not, you should be.
2. Are you eating tons of nuts/ nut butter? Maybe tone it down. If you're eating  trail mix-- does it have a lot of dried fruit? Dried fruit contains quite a bit of sugar... 
3. Are you eating paleo treats a couple times a week? Try making it an actual TREAT-- like once or twice a week. Not 4-7 times a week.
4. Are you eating any fish? Come on. At least once a week, if not 2-3x/ week.
5. This one is gonna sting.... how much bacon and sausage are you eating? Try coming up with some meals you like that don't focus so much on these things.
6. How much fruit are you eating? What kinds? From what I've read in the paleo books... the focus is supposed to be on berries because they're low in sugar. So maybe cool it down on the apples, bananas, and citrus for awhile, and see how it goes. 
7. How much water do you drink? Is it enough? (half your body weight in ounces + whatever you sweat out in workouts)
3. Make changes based on what you learned in the food diary... so what works and what makes you feel good... 

When I was complaining about not losing weight while doing Paleo to Chris... he was like... "well... you eat a lot of almond butter, maybe you should cut back"?.... Poor Chris. I, of course, got super defensive and told him he had no idea what it was like trying to lose weight because he was born with a perfect genetic disposition. And then of course- I pulled the... "are you calling me FAT?!". Poor Chris, indeed. You just can't tell someone who is hangry that they're doing something wrong when they're trying so hard. But really.... yes. I was eating too much almond butter. SO. If you read the above and you get super defensive...maybe that's an indication that you really do need to cut-back on whatever you paleo-vice is... You've got to be honest with yourself. Do you really NEED 6 slices of bacon for breakfast everyday? No. There's not a chance in hell that you NEED it. 

These are just some ideas... everyone's body is different. I'd be interested to hear what other people's experiences are like with plateauing on paleo-- or not losing weight (when you want to lose weight) on paleo. I know there are plenty of people out there that don't want to lose weight (or would rather gain)- so this isn't for you.

The BEST Salmon

Chris actually found this recipe awhile ago, and it is now a household favorite. Salmon has a pretty good flavor by itself, but these ingredients compliment the already delicious-ness of the fish! Plus this is super easy to make and even easier to clean up... good for keeping the cave clean!

from: http://fitpaleomom.com/garlic-dijon-baked-salmon/

Garlic Dijon Baked Salmon

Ingredients:

• 1# Salmon (preferably fresh, not farm-raised)... I know the original recipe says 1.5#...but I like a more concentrated sauce on my fish
• 2 TBSP Chopped parsley (fresh)
• 2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
• 1.5 dijon mustard
• salt/ pepper
• 2-3 TBSP olive oil
• 2 TBSP Lemon juice
• lemon slices (optional)

Directions:

1. Set oven to 450F

2. Line your baking dish with foil

3. In a bowl-- put in the parsley, garlic, mustard, olive oil and lemon juice

4. salt/ pepper the fish

5. pour contents of bowl on fish... spread it on there to make sure the surface is touched by the delicious sauce!

6. bake for 12-15 minutes... depending on how thick your fish is... and how done you like it.

Enjoy!

I served with a kale salad with some almonds (olive oil/ lemon juice dressing) and plantain chips from Trader Joe's. SO much easier than making your own... and they're better than what I've made in the past, lol.