Before I start this post, I need to give credit to the Primal Blueprint (PB) which I keep forgetting to mention.  While both the paleo and the PB plan are similar in that they emphasize hunter/gatherer type foods, PB integrates some more advanced (or more primal) research on fats that I think is particularly smart.  I won’t go into great detail, but most research, contrary to popular opinion, shows that lowering blood cholesterol has no real impact on heart disease (its much more involved than this) and that saturated fats can actually be quite healthy for you (in fact, low saturated fat diets have lead to higher incidence of strokes).  For some serious background on this debate check out Good Calories Bad Calories - it’s an amazing read.  This is a hot topic so I’ll leave it alone for now and move on to my post :)

The most noticeable change in the past 4 days is that my digestive system is in tip-top shape.  I have eaten stir-frys, curry shrimp (for breakfast), steak, eggs, more vegetables than you can shake a stick at, pretty much a whole watermelon, cherries, tons of sunflower seeds, almonds, almond butter, and coconut milk.  I have NOT eaten sugar, wheat, gluten, starch, flour, corn, alcohol, or any other reincarnation of those items.  I feel absolutely amazing.

The hardest thing to challenge about the PB plan is the overall ease of it.  I have been on a million other eating plans and have experienced what I thought were normal rises and dips in energy and mood, various types of digestive issues from gas to constipation to the other extreme.  I have had heartburn, indigestion, and a thousand other ailments and have learned that some combinations of foods, amounts of foods, or the timing of some meals is very important to keeping things as balanced as possible and avoiding those issues.  After 4 days on the PB, that all gets thrown out the window.  I have not experienced a single one of the aforementioned unbalanced digestive issues since the minute I started the plan.   It’s been nothing but smooth sailing.

Today I’m headed to an all day all night BBQ.  I’ve got shrimp marinating in cilantro, rosemary, lemon, garlic, and oil, that I’ll be skewering and bringing with me.  A BBQ is a PB follower’s heaven - all the grilled fish, meat, veggies, and fresh fruit you could ever want.  I will be steering clear of the pasta salads, corn, and desserts of course but also the bar since, as you know, I’ve given up the bottle for the month of July.  It might be hard but it’s no harder than these things!

Today is day 3 of all paleo.  I had been eating a lot of nuts and seeds and I think my fat content was a little too high so I threw out the seeds.  I just couldn’t stop eating them.  I still kept the walnuts and almonds but going to get back to moderation with them.  A couple days without dairy and I feel great.  Today shouldn’t be hard but tomorrow at this all day bbq will be a challenge.  I’ll report back later on how it goes.  Should be all the grilled meat and veggies I can handle but i need to stay away from the bar.  Wish me luck!

Today at Whole Foods I pointed to a grass-fed steak at the butcher counter and said “that one” before realizing I’d picked out a 2 lb chunk of beef chuck steak.  I wasn’t sure what to do with it but on the way home it came to me.  Ropa vieja is one of my favorite cuban dishes.  It’s really good on top of black beans and rice but I think I can manage it just plain.  I used a little vinegar in my recipe which is technically non-paleo but I’m not too concerned.

• about 2 lbs grass fed beef chuck steak
• 2 peppers sliced thinly
• 2 onions sliced thinly
• 1 small can salt free tomato sauce
• a few tablespoons salt free tomato paste
• a few dashes vinegar (maybe 1/4 cup)
• a little bit of water (about 1/4 cup)
• a teaspoon of cumin
• 3 or 4 bay leaves
• 3 or 4 cloves of garlic
• 1 or 2 tablespoons oil

I mixed the wet ingredients, coated the steak in them, layered all the veggies on bottom, then layed the steak on top.  I cooked high for an hour or two then low for about 6-7 hours.

I’m going to toy with some other recipes as this was slightly bland but I still loved it.

Yes I realize it may be somewhat odd to be cooking this for breakfast but the idea came to me and I had to have it.  I also realize it’s not the most appetizing picture but I’m doing what I can here with iphone snapshots.  This was pretty easy and pretty tasty and will give me 3 or 4 meals.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 head cauliflower, grated with cheese grater
• 1 clove garlic minced
• some oil (I use coconut)
• 3 scallions or an onion diced
• 1lb shrimp
• 1 egg

I sauteed the garlic and scallions in some oil for a minute or two.  Then I added in the grated cauliflower.  This won’t be a perfect match for rice but it adds bulk and texture and is pretty damn good.  Might also work well with some stir fry on top.  Cook cauliflower for about 5 minutes.  Set aside and cook shrimp.  Add mixture back in and cook a few more minutes.  Push the mixture aside and cook 1 beaten egg in pan until almost cooked through.  Mix it all together and cook another minute.  Add a few tablespoons of light soy sauce.

Yes I realize soy isn’t quite paleo/primal but just a touch won’t kill you in moderation.  Enjoy!