I have been asked periodically about the food I eat to fuel
my body. I have been steadily
dropping weight over the last year and a half, and even more significantly over
the last five months since I have been running. I have “always” carried an extra 30 lbs. or so, since entering high
school, that I have never seemed to be able to get rid of. All through high school, my weight
ranged between 173 and 178 lbs.
After having three children in my early to mid 20’s, I topped out at 232
lbs. I carried that excess weight
for a couple of years until I decided it was time to get rid of it. Through moderation, I was able to get
back down into the 170s, but only once did I get down to 168 just to jump right
back up into the 170s. Over the
last decade, I have ranged anywhere from 175 to 195 lbs.
A year and a half ago, in January of 2012, our family began
following a Paleo-type eating plan.
Basically, we do not eat anything that is processed. No breads, grains, flour, table sugar,
high fructose corn syrup, artificial sugar substitutes, canned fruits or
vegetables, and the list goes on and on.
We choose our foods from the perimeter of the grocery store in the meat
department and fresh produce department.
We eat anything that can be caught or hunted, such as fish, beef, pork,
chicken, turkey, wild game, etc.
We eat a variety of fruits, vegetables, and nuts. We make our own condiments, other than
mustard, frankly because I have not yet figured out a good mustard recipe and
the mustard we buy has nothing artificial in it, nor does it have any
mysterious “spices” that we are unable to identify. We use local honey instead of sugar in our ketchup and we
use olive, walnut, or almond oil in place of soybean oil in our mayonnaise.
One thing I would like to be very clear about: when I say
our family follows a “Paleo-style” plan, I mean that we consider what would
have been available to our Paleolithic ancestors and we consume based on
that. However, we also consume
foods such as dairy because we do not have any adverse reactions to it. Our kids drink milk, I have milk in my
coffee, we sometimes have parmesan or feta cheese (we choose cheeses with the
least amount of processing and consume absolutely no processed cheeses, such as
Velveeta or American cheese). We
eat eggs, though some Paleo proponents promote no consumption of eggs because
of the gut issues some people can have.
We do not have those issues, so we go ahead and eat eggs. Our rule of thumb is this…if our bodies
feel energized and good after eating anything that is natural, we eat it. If we feel heavy or tired after eating
something, if it is processed and/or full of chemically-derived ingredients or
vague ingredients, we do not touch it.
Plain and simple. We have
found substitutes for many of our old favorites, one of which is a great Paleo
pizza that tastes awesome. I’ll be
sharing that recipe later! If you would like more in-depth information about how to put together a Paleo template that works for you, visit Chris Kresser's website here. He has a lot of good information beyond just Paleo, as well.
Continuing with my story…
I dropped 20-25 lbs. in the first two months of following
this Paleo-style eating plan. I
maintained a weight ranging from 170 to 175 over the course of a year,
basically plateauing at that weight once again. This past February, as my readers know, I started
running. I cut back on the amount
of protein I was eating and increased my carbohydrate intake. When I put a plate of food together, it
looks as though the protein takes up one third of the plate, while the fruits
and vegetables take up the rest with some good fat thrown in the mix. The protein level is about 3 to 4
ounces, though I don’t measure exactly.
The fat comes in the form of half an avocado or some olive or coconut
oil. I eat when I am hungry. Some days that means more, some days
that means less. It depends on the
length, time, and energy burned on my runs.
I eat protein, good fats, and fruit about two hours before I
run. Upon returning from my run, I
have an apple and banana, or some watermelon (especially during the summer
months), maybe some cherries or other type of fruit. If it was a 5+ mile run, I will have a homemade energy
bar also, which is filled with protein, fruits, and nuts, as well as local
honey, blackstrap molasses, and a host of other yummy, healthy ingredients. I also put sea salt in the energy bars,
especially during the summer months, to help replace the salt lost during our
runs. About 30 minutes after my
run, I fill a plate in the proportions listed above with protein, vegetables,
and some good fat added in. The
rest of the day, I eat when I am hungry, just to satisfaction. While I would encourage anyone looking
to live a more healthy lifestyle to try a Paleo-based eating plan, I recognize
the my food lifestyle may not be right for everyone…it is up to the individual
to find what works best for them, Paleo or otherwise. What I would like to share, over time, are some of the
recipes our family has adopted.
Not only are they healthy, they taste really good, too. Try some of them. You might be surprised at what dishes
become your new favorites and your family’s, as well. Take liberties with the recipes. If you have another favorite nut flour in place of the nut
flour we use, try it. Add
different seasonings and spices.
Use a plethora of vegetables and fruits. I’ll offer suggestions and variations, also. Most important...have fun with the recipes! Get creative. Try new things.
Enjoy eating your creations!
With that…here is the first recipe.
Nixon’s Almond Chicken
4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3-4 T butter, melted
1 cup almond meal (you can purchase the meal or grind your
own almonds)
2 T Italian seasoning (or to taste)
1 t sea salt
1 t curry powder (optional) OR
1 t smoked paprika (optional)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine the almond meal, Italian seasoning, and sea salt,
plus other seasonings if desired, in a shallow dish and mix well. Melt butter in a shallow dish. Dredge the chicken breasts, both sides,
through the butter and then the almond mixture. Lightly coat a large baking dish with olive oil and place
the coated chicken breasts in the pan.
You can sprinkle any extra almond meal mixture over the chicken breasts
and then drizzle any leftover butter over them. Bake, uncovered, for 40-45 minutes, or until a meat
thermometer reads at least 170 degrees at the thickest point. Pair up with some of your favorite
vegetables or a nice side salad and enjoy! Also great served cold later on.
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